


By The Willow Shade

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bad Parenting, Because Loki is not a peadophile, Gen, Introspection, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Gets a Hug, Magickal Lessons, Mischief running rampant, Outcasts Unite!, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Protective Loki, Reconciliation, Self Confidence Issues, Soul-Searching, Teen Angst, Teenage Drama, comforting Loki, questionable decisions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-05-06 18:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 28,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5426699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A summoning gone surprisingly right leads a wayward god and a teenage girl down a road neither imagined they would walk, sparking an unlikely apprenticeship and an even unlikelier friendship. But can either survive when faced with the scrutiny and interference of misunderstanding minds?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> One day, my mind will stop coming up with new stories before I finish my other ones. Until then; enjoy.

    The lights were dimmed, the incense was burning, the circle was drawn and cast, and the candle was lit. Before it sat a young girl in her mid-teens; her five foot, curvaceous, almost-luminescent pale frame dressed in a dark green flowy blouse and black cotton pants, her near-white blonde hair was swept off her delicate face and flowed down her back to her hips in a loose braid. Eyes closed, she muttered the words to a summoning, brow furrowed slightly in concentration as she sounded out the syllables to an ancient language she could just barely pronounce. The air in the room began to grow heavy with static, until with a slight crackle a bright light flashed on the spot before the girl, causing her to stop her casting and shield her still-closed eyes behind her hands with a slight yelp.

 

    When the light faded the girl dared to peek out a light violet eye from between her fingers. Before her stood a tall pale man dressed in black leather, green and gold, with black hair reaching his shoulders and piercing bright green eyes that looked about him in confusion until they landed on her and he frowned slightly.

 

    The girl dropped her hands away from her face and in shock blurted out, “Holy crap; it actually worked!”

 

    “You? _You_ summoned me?” The man asked; a mixture of surprise and annoyance clear in his voice and expression.

 

    “What’s that supposed to mean?” The girl countered, clearly insulted.

 

    “I’ve been summoned by a child. How much further can I possibly fall?” The man muttered to himself frustratedly then turned back to the girl and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you even realise what it is you have done?”

 

    “Ehh... more or less...” The girl replied somewhat sheepishly, an embarrassed blush spreading on her cheeks as she averted his gaze.

 

    The man closed his eyes and buried his face in his hand with a deep sigh then looked back up at the girl. “Do you know who I am, girl?”

 

    “... Not... really; no,” The girl replied, ducking her head slightly in embarrassment.

 

    “I am Loki, of Asgard,” The man declared, drawing himself up to his considerable full height and looking down at her. The girl’s eyes widened in shock and realisation and he smirked. “I see you’ve heard of me.”

 

    “The Norse god of Mischief? Yeah, a little bit,” The girl squeaked in reply, standing up a bit unsteadily as her legs had begun to fall asleep.

 

    “And you are?” Loki asked, seeming pleased by both the recognition and the reaction to it.

 

    “W-Willow,” The girl stammered, then cleared her throat slightly and spoke a little more clearly, “Willow Stranton.”

 

    “Well then, Willow Stranton; what would you ask of me?” Loki asked, tilting his head to the side a bit and looking at her expectantly.

 

    “What?” Willow asked, bewildered.

 

    “You summoned me; you must want something,” Loki reasoned, raising an eyebrow.

 

    “Right. That. Umm... Thing is; I didn’t really think the spell would actually work,” Willow said hesitantly, her blush deepening, “I hoped it would, of course, but, well...”

 

    “I see. I would suggest that you think of something, then, and be quick about it; I do have things to do,” Loki said, frowning. Willow bit her bottom lip, hesitating, and Loki sighed. “Come now, it’s not so difficult. What do you want most of all? There must be something,” He snapped.

 

    “Knowledge!” Willow blurted out.

 

    Loki blinked at her in surprise then laughed, earning a rather hurt look. He calmed himself and gave an almost apologetic look that he hoped conveyed that he hadn’t laughed at her.

 

    “A curious choice for one so young, but I suppose it can be arranged,” Loki replied amusedly. “Anything in particular you wish to know about?”

 

    Willow ducked her head a bit again and spoke in a half-whisper. “Magick.”

 

    At that, a wide grin slowly spread on Loki’s face. “Now _that_ I can do.”


	2. Chapter One

    Willow furrowed her brow in concentration and the energy flowed between her pale hands and into the surrounding space, creating the illusion of a lush meadow around her and her teacher complete with a breeze and the sound of critters roving around in the grass. It had been four months since Loki began teaching her to wield seidr, and she had progressed much farther than he had expected. She reminded him of himself, and not just because of her skill and quick learning; she was as socially withdrawn as he had been at her age, and her abnormalities often earned her the rejection and ridicule of her peers. Since learning that even her own family tended to shun and/or ignore her, Loki had taken it upon himself to be a sort of brotherly figure.

 

    Not that he would admit to it, of course. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

 

    “Well done, Willow. At this rate you should be able to maintain more complex illusions for a longer amount of time soon,” He praised as his student let the illusion fade, walking around to stand in front of her. Willow beamed widely, swelling with pride at her accomplishment. “You should rest now; we’ve done enough for one day.”

 

    “Aw, come on; one more?” Willow pleaded, giving him her best puppy eyes.

 

    “Willow; you know the rules,” Loki replied sternly, exercising his willpower to not give in to her expression.

 

    He often wondered if she didn’t perhaps have hypnotic abilities of some degree; she had managed to convince him to do quite a bit with those eyes alone.

 

    “Fine,” Willow huffed with a pout, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

 

    When Loki agreed to become her teacher he set up a few rules; he would teach her only what he deemed appropriate at the pace he determined based on her skill and he reserved the right to end the lessons whenever he considered she had exerted herself enough for one day, among others. Willow usually didn’t protest unless the lesson of the day was particularly fun, and sometimes he even indulged her a bit if he thought she could handle it, but the illusion she had performed today was no easy feat for a somewhat novice and she had already tried it three times; he knew for a fact that she was tired.

 

    “Tomorrow is another day, lítið einn,” Loki assured, ruffling her hair affectionately.

 

    “One of these days, I’m gonna look up what it is you’re always calling me; and then I’m probably gonna punch you, because I get the feeling it’s not something I’ll like,” Willow commented, batting his hand away and brushing her newly-cut bangs out of her eyes.

 

    Loki chuckled then turned her around by the shoulders and pushed her gently towards the stairs leading out of the basement of her house. “Go and finish your homework. I know you haven’t, so do not try to tell me otherwise.”

 

    “Ugh, fine, _mom,”_ Willow replied childishly, and began to ascend the steps sluggishly in an attempt to delay the inevitable.

 

    Loki let out a laugh. “That might have been insulting, were it not accurate.”

 

    “Yeah, yeah,” Willow dismissed, then stopped and blinked as his words truly registered. “Wait, _what?”_

 

    She turned to face him but he was already gone, leaving her to continue on her way wondering whether he was serious or if he was just messing with her.

 

****

 

    With the curse of homework taken care of (gods, how she hated math) Willow made herself a snack of assorted finger foods she managed to scrounge up (she really needed to do some shopping) then took a nap to replenish the energy she had used in the day’s activities. When she awoke it was dark out and she was hanging half off her bed, tangled in both her sheets and her hair, which took some - embarrassing and occasionally painful - manoeuvring to get out of; once she accomplished that she promptly fell off the bed with a yelp.

 

    _Good thing Loki wasn’t here to see_ that _one._ She thought in relief, knowing the god wouldn’t let it go away anytime soon. She got up with a groan and stretched, rubbing her eyes in the process, then dragged herself to her dresser and threw on an oversized green sweater and some grey pyjama pants. She then made her way downstairs to find that her parents weren’t home yet, so she went into the kitchen to see if she could find some dinner. _Really need to go shopping._

 

    With an annoyed sigh Willow walked to the phone and picked it up, looking through the list of take-out numbers next to it and deciding on pizza; once she placed her order she went upstairs to her parents’ bedroom and grabbed some cash out of the ‘emergency’ stash her dad kept in one of his drawers (in reality used mostly to pay for private online chatrooms Willow had accidentally found out about one day and sorely wished she hadn’t) and went back downstairs to the living room to watch some TV while she waited for her food to arrive.

 

    Finally, the doorbell rang, and Willow all but flew to the door, standing on the tips of her toes to look through the peephole (although, really; what kind of burglar/kidnapper/murderer/rapist rings the doorbell?) before opening the door and taking and paying for her dinner and heading back inside. She set the box down on the kitchen counter and wolfed down two slices before she went to the fridge and took out a bottle of water to wash them down with, drinking down half the contents in one gulp.

 

    She was three fourths of a way through her third slice while watching an old movie about some sea-slug monster-things (she still wasn’t quite sure what the things were meant to be) when she heard the front door open, her mom walking into the room a short while later.

 

    “There’s no food; I bought pizza,” Willow said with her mouth full as she half turned to face her mother.

 

    “Where’d you get money for pizza?” Her mother asked suspiciously.

 

    “Silence is golden, mother,” Willow said with a grin then she turned her attention back to the screen.

 

    Her mom looked at her oddly but said nothing, then walked away into the kitchen, coming out a little later with a plate in one hand and a bottle of water in the other and telling Willow she was going to be in her office and was not to be disturbed. Willow hummed distractedly and her mother shook her head and walked away.

 

    When the movie was over Willow turned the TV off and went upstairs to her bedroom, finding Loki casually lounging on her bed reading through one of her notebooks.

 

    “Midgardian public education is so very lacking,” He commented as she closed the door, “But I suppose it’s better than it was two centuries ago.”

 

    “I’ll take your word on that,” Willow replied, walking over to the bed and throwing herself diagonally on top of him lazily, resting her head on his chest and curling her legs under her against his side. Loki moved a hand to stroke her hair, as though he were petting a cat. “Not that I mind seeing you again, but why _are_ you here again?”

 

    “Sanctuary,” Loki replied vaguely. “Where is your mother? I saw her car outside.”

 

    “She’s in her office, talking to her boyfriend,” Willow replied.

 

    Loki hummed. “And your father?”

 

    “Probably out with one of _his_ girlfriends,” Willow replied.

 

    “Pathetic,” Loki commented distastefully.

 

    “You’re telling me,” Willow agreed then lifted her head to look at him. “You wouldn’t happen to be free tomorrow, would you?”

 

    “That would depend on what for,” Loki replied, setting her notebook down on the floor.

 

    “I need to go grocery shopping. Be easier with a little help,” She said, looking at him a bit hopefully.

 

    “So you want a pack-mule,” Loki scoffed. “I suppose I could be convinced.”

 

    “Name your price,” Willow challenged, though she already knew what he was going to ask for.

 

    Loki pretended to give it some thought. “Three days.”

 

    Willow looked at him incredulously. “For _grocery shopping?_ No way! One day.”

 

    “I could be pursuing far more entertaining things than accompanying a mortal child on such a mundane task,” Loki defended with mock-haughtiness.

 

    “Like what?” Willow asked with a scoff. Loki grinned wolfishly and her eyes widened in realisation. “Ew, no, never mind; I don’t wanna know.”

 

    Loki laughed. “My, aren’t you pretty when you blush,” He teased.

 

    “I’m not blushing!” Willow retorted childishly, knowing very well that she was and that, with _her_ complexion, he would be able to see it from a mile away let alone less than a foot from her.

 

    “Whatever you say, Willow, dear,” He said. “Just for the laugh I’ll compromise; two days.”

 

    Willow hid her face in his chest in embarrassment. “Fine!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's wondering, Willow was watching 'The Monster That Challenged the World'; a movie that I have yet to be able to sit through in its entirety in any of my four attempts. It's a 50's "horror" movie, so look for it at your own risk. XD


	3. Chapter Two

    When Loki had left Willow after that afternoon’s lesson to return to Asgard, he had every intention of finishing the book he had begun to read that morning in the hours left before he would have to make an appearance at dinner; instead he found himself mediating an argument between Thor and several of the men that made up the king’s council. He truly wondered how long they would be able to hold their positions whenever Odin passed on the throne now that Thor wasn’t the oblivious, battle-obsessed idiot he once was.

 

    By the end of it Loki had been so fed up, he went straight to the kitchens and barked an order to have his meal sent to his chambers before retiring there himself, leaving Thor to make his excuses for him in the dining hall. He had just managed to calm down when he received a summons from Odin, only to be scolded and berated the moment he set foot in the king’s hall. Once that was over he left the room seemingly calm - though he was positively _seething_ inside - and, deciding that he didn’t want to be in the Realm Eternal for a moment longer, snuck off to Midgard again.

 

    He hadn’t really intended to visit Willow again; he sort of just... ended up there. After making himself comfortable on her bed he had begun checking her homework - knowing all too well neither of her parents ever did - and was about halfway through before he realised what he was doing.

 

     _By the Norns; I’ve gone domestic,_ He thought with a snort. He had almost finished with the last one when Willow walked into the room and provided him with the one bit of company he actually wanted.

 

    The girl never failed to lift his mood. Part of him thought it probably had a lot to do with the fact that she so obviously adored him; she interestedly hung onto his every word as he spoke, admired his skills to a degree that greatly agreed with his ego, and dove into his teachings with an enthusiasm that made his heart swell with pride.

 

    The fact that she didn’t mindlessly fawn over him helped too. Willow had never cared that he was a prince or a god; all she saw was a person she liked who had much to teach her.

 

    When he left her late into the night, after indulging her with a few stories (and expertly avoiding explaining the last thing he had said to her that afternoon; it was much more fun to keep her guessing), he had retired to a house he kept for himself about an hour away from Willow’s to sleep, after checking to see that all his wards were still in place.

 

    The next morning when he awoke, Loki grabbed the cell phone he’d acquired for the sole reason of communicating with Willow and sent her a quick text informing her where he would meet her for breakfast - and steadfastly pretending he wasn’t treating her just to make sure she actually ate - before taking a shower and heading out.

 

 

    “So, let me get this straight...” Willow began through a mouthful of bacon as they sat in a diner, “You skip dinner _once_ and you get a lecture, but Thor trashes the place on several occasions and no-one bats an eye? That’s total bull.”

 

    “Don’t speak with your mouth full, Willow,” The tall, casually dressed raven haired female sat across from the girl scolded.

 

    Loki always opted for shapeshifting into a woman when he went out in public with Willow; partly so he wouldn’t be recognised by anyone connected to his brother, but mostly to avoid the stares he got from people seeing a grown man hanging out with a teenaged girl he clearly wasn’t related to. The double standard annoyed them both to no end, but what could they do?

 

    Willow swallowed then stuck her tongue out at Loki and she scoffed. “Yes, that’s _very_ mature.”

 

    “Fuck it,” Willow replied with a shrug.

 

    “Such a refined young lady,” Loki said sarcastically and Willow laughed.

 

****

 

    After they’d finished eating they went straight to the supermarket and slowly made their way through the aisles, with Loki unconsciously making sure the cart had plenty of healthier food options to balance the multitude of junk food Willow was so fond of. Once the food was paid for Loki drove (a skill he had yet to share with Willow no matter how many times she asked) to Willow’s house. They noticed her mother’s car was gone but her father’s was still there, and Loki groaned slightly; she truly hated dealing with the man when his wife wasn’t home.

 

    Grabbing as many bags as they could carry (and could get away with carrying in his current form without arousing suspicion); Loki followed Willow up to the front door and into the house. They had been setting their purchases down on the kitchen floor to be sorted later and had just turned to get the rest from the car when Willow’s father walked in.

 

    “Oh. Good morning, Laurie; I didn’t know you were coming by,” He greeted Loki, eyeing her in a way that made her skin crawl with revulsion.

 

    “She was just helping me get food,” Willow said, managing to keep her voice even while Loki gave her father a barely-there smile of faked politeness, then turned to Loki, “And we should get the rest.”

 

    “Need a hand?” Her father asked.

 

    “That’s quite alright,” Loki replied politely then moved to walk past him and out of the room.

 

    “You sure?” Willow’s father insisted, stepping closer to Loki, and it was all she could do not to grimace in disgust at the proximity.

 

    “We’ve got it, dad,” Willow replied somewhat pointedly.

 

    “Well, alright; just trying to help,” Her father said with a laugh, stepping out of the way.

 

    _We will see how eager you are to ‘help’ when I rid you of your hands,_ Loki thought viciously as she walked out of the house and towards the car, closely followed by a fuming Willow.

 

    “Un- _fucking_ -believable!” Willow hissed angrily as she grabbed more bags out of the trunk. “Every gods damned time!”

 

    “There is no point dwelling on it, lítið einn,” Loki soothed, keeping her own anger deep inside.

 

    Willow took a deep breath. “How do you do it?”

 

    “Practise,” Loki replied as they walked back into the house, “Much practise.”

 

    Once the groceries had been sorted and put away, Willow and Loki retreated to the safety of Loki’s house - having gotten permission to do so from Willow’s father while he had been too distracted staring at Loki’s ass - and spent the rest of the morning practising a few simple spells. After lunch Willow had commandeered Loki’s laptop (which he had gotten on a whim and hadn’t actually used much) and began downloading music onto it; filling it with a random selection ranging from Mastodon and Helloween to Laura Pausini, Wumpscut and ABBA, along with operas and classical pieces. It always amused the Trickster how eclectic the girl’s taste in music was; she seemed content to listen to just about anything except for country music, which she hated with a passion.

 

    “Hey, Loki; can I ask you something?” Willow asked as she ‘introduced him to the wonders of Faun’, in her own words.

 

    “You just did,” Loki replied with a smirk from his spot on the couch; his eyes closed as he enjoyed the music.

 

    “Ha, ha,” Willow said sarcastically. “I’m serious.”

 

    Loki opened his eyes and grinned at her. “Ask away, but if it is personal, it will cost you a day.”

 

    “Fine,” Willow agreed, her curiosity being too much for her to bother trying to negotiate and Loki gestured at her to continue. “Why do you stick around?”

 

    “We have a deal,” Loki replied simply.

 

    “Yeah; for you to teach me magick. I mean... well, _this,”_ Willow said, gesturing around them, “Our deal said nothing about you hanging out with me, or buying me food, or listening to me whining about stuff.”

 

    Loki looked up at the ceiling and was silent for a while then he looked back down at her. “Why did you summon me?”

 

    “To see if I could?” Willow’s answer came out more like a question and Loki gave her a look. She bit her bottom lip and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them. “I needed someone to talk to. Someone who wouldn’t judge me for being a freak,” She admitted quietly.

 

    Loki wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, which she responded to by leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his middle. “And _that_ , dear girl, is why.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Willow were listening to the song 'Pearl' by Faun; which is one of my favourites from them and I highly recommend a listen.


	4. Chapter Three

    Willow awoke sprawled out on the bed in the spare room - which was ‘spare’ only in name, really - of Loki’s house. For a moment she wondered how she’d gotten there, before she remembered she’d fallen asleep curled up next to Loki the previous night. Then she felt a brief moment of panic when she remembered she’d told him the real reason she had summoned him four months ago. As much as she trusted Loki, she wasn’t stupid; he was, after all, the God of Mischief. Then again; his reply to the admission told her he’d already known, and he obviously did care about her at least to some degree. And besides, she’d been signing away days of her life to him for months; if he wanted to use her for some nefarious purpose, he wouldn’t need to manipulate her into it.

 

    With that strangely relaxing thought in mind, Willow got up and stretched, then walked out of the room to take a shower; stopping by the dresser along the way and grabbing a change of clothes. Once clean and dressed she walked over to Loki’s room and peeked inside, finding it empty. She went to the kitchen and found a bowl of oatmeal served and waiting for her, but no Loki; she shrugged then hopped up on the counter to eat.

 

****

 

    Loki woke up early that morning to a raven tapping insistently on his bedroom window. After opening the window with a lazy wave of his hand, the bird flew in to perch on his bed and dropped a small black stone onto his open palm, cawed loudly at him once and then flew away. He glared at the stone - a message that he was wanted back in Asgard immediately - then reluctantly got up, showered and, after making sure that Willow was still asleep, left breakfast ready for her and left.

 

    Once he stepped off the Bifrost portal he turned to Heimdall. “What could he _possibly_ want from me _this_ time?” He asked exasperatedly.

 

    “He didn’t say,” Heimdall replied, “He had questions about your student, however.”

 

    “What did you tell him??” Loki demanded, paling slightly. He had always known that Odin would find out about Willow eventually, but he hoped he’d have more time to prepare her for that.

 

    “The truth,” Heimdall replied vaguely.

 

    Loki clenched his fists then strode out of the observatory, hoping things weren’t as bad as his mind was intent on imagining. It was no secret there was no love lost between him and the Gatekeeper, but when he had returned from his first meeting with Willow the two had struck a bargain: Heimdall would keep Willow’s existence and Loki’s deal with her a secret as long as he did nothing to harm the girl or threaten the realms, and in return Loki would owe the Watchman three favours to be used at his discretion, limited only to anything that would threaten the Trickster’s life.

 

    Of course, the deal didn’t apply to a direct question from the king; Heimdall’s curiosity over Loki’s attachment to a mortal child would never override his duty to the throne and the realms. Loki only hoped that Odin had been vague in his inquiries and that Heimdall had kept the details of his interactions with Willow to a minimum; he didn’t want to think about what would happen to her if she was deemed a threat simply because it was him doing the teaching. Of course once _that_ crossed his mind, it was all he _could_ think about. He sped up his already brisk pace and reached the palace in no time, then went straight to where Odin was said to be.

 

    He reached one of the many balconies around the palace and his steps faltered slightly when he saw Thor was there as well; if Odin had called on them both, this couldn’t possibly end well for him. Of course, there was the possibility that Thor was there for another reason entirely. Loki chose to believe that instead. Steeling his nerves, he approached the pair, an air of aloofness about him.

 

    “You called?” Loki asked in a bored tone.

 

    “It has come to my attention that you have been spending much time on Midgard,” Odin said; the accusation well implied in his tone.

 

    “It’s perfectly fine when _he_ does it, though,” Loki scoffed, jerking his head towards Thor slightly.

 

    “ _He_ has never tried to conquer the realm,” Odin replied.

 

    “Do that _one_ time...” Loki commented, rolling his eyes.

 

    “He does have a point, father,” Thor spoke up, and Loki looked at him in surprise for a moment before resuming his stoic demeanour.

 

    “Be that as it may; you are hardly welcome there, which you well know given your efforts to remain hidden,” Odin continued, “My greater concern, in any case, is the mortal you spend your visits with.”

 

    “What mortal?” Thor asked, looking between his brother and father.

 

    “That is my business, not yours,” Loki replied coolly, ignoring Thor completely.

 

    “As Allfather, the safety of the Nine Realms _is_ my business,” Odin said.

 

    “I’m well aware. However, seeing as though Heimdall has known all along where I go and what I do and has never seen fit to inform you, one could assume there is no threat,” Loki retorted, crossing his arms over his chest and eyeing Odin in clear challenge, “Unless of course you no longer trust the Gatekeeper.”

 

    “Do not play games with me, Loki,” Odin warned. “What is your aim with the human?”

 

    “I’m afraid I am not at liberty to discuss the terms of our deal,” Loki replied with a slight shrug, “But I assure you, _Allfather;_ it is nothing the Keeper of the Realms need concern himself with.”

 

    “I would judge for myself,” Odin stated, “You will bring the mortal here; I wish to meet her.”

 

    Loki’s eye twitched slightly, but otherwise he showed no reaction. “If you insist, but I will have her back home before the morrow, and that is not negotiable.”

 

    “And why is that?” Odin asked, more curious than anything.

 

    “Because I won’t tolerate interruptions to her schooling,” Loki replied.

 

    He knew that would raise questions, but he also knew that if he didn’t stand firm in this Willow might miss a few days of class; he cared too much for her education to allow that, especially because of Odin.

 

    “Schooling? How old _is_ this mortal?” Thor suddenly asked, startling Loki slightly.

 

    He had honestly forgotten his brother was even there.

 

    Before Loki could answer Odin interrupted. “Very well; I will expect you both in the throne room. Now go.”

 

    Supressing his anger at being to casually dismissed (used to it though he was, it was still very annoying), Loki turned and left, heading for the royal stables. He went straight to the very end of it, reaching the stall reserved for Odin’s steed, dismissing the stable hand and preparing the grey stallion himself with the utmost care. Once done he nimbly climbed into the saddle and sped out of the stables, heading back to the Bridge. Before the Bifrost sent him on his way Loki spared a glare to Heimdall, though there was little bite to it; the Watchman was only doing his job after all. It wasn’t personal. At least not _this_ time.

 

****

 

    Willow was curled up on Loki’s sofa when he walked into the house, so completely immersed in one of his books (she was forever glad she had traded a week for lessons on asgardian writing) that she didn’t even notice him until he stood in front of her and poked her head. She jumped with a startled yelp and Loki couldn’t help but to laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.

 

    “The Hel’s the matter with you; you trying to give me a heart attack?!” She cried out, glaring at him.

 

    “In my defence, this _is_ my house, and I did call out to you several times; you just didn’t hear me,” Loki replied with a smirk. Willow scoffed and flipped him off, to which he snorted, commenting on her maturity, then turned serious. “Willow; I have news.”

 

    “Why do I get the distinct feeling it’s not the good kind?” She asked, slipping a bookmark between the pages to mark her place and setting the book down to give him her full attention.

 

    “Because it’s not,” Loki replied. “Odin knows about you; or at least of your existence. He wants to meet you.”

 

    “Why?” Willow asked nervously.

 

    “Because you made the unfortunate mistake of associating with me, and that makes you suspicious,” He replied.

 

    “Oh. Well, that sucks,” Willow commented, shoulders slumping.

 

    “Indeed,” Loki agreed. “I promise this will not take long; I’ll have you back for school tomorrow.”

 

    “Oh, _joy,”_ Willow replied sarcastically.


	5. Chapter Four

    Willow stood before Loki in an empty field wearing the most unamused expression he had ever seen on her. He couldn’t really blame her though; after informing her that he was taking her to Asgard, he’d scrutinised her from head to toe and decided her current outfit was not appropriate enough then he proceeded to change her clothes over and over with his seidr until he was satisfied.

 

    “Who even cares? I’m only gonna be there for a day!” She had cried out at the fourth wave of magick.

 

    “First impressions are very important, lítið einn,” He had replied distractedly as he paced in a circle around her, inspecting.

 

    When he was finally satisfied - settling on a royal purple floor-lengthed dress with a modest neckline and long flowing sleeves slit up to the elbows, but letting her keep her knee-high black boots underneath - he worked on her hair, tying it back off her face with a series of intricate braids and letting the rest hang loose down her back, and drove them to a deserted field just out of town then dragged her through it until they reached the very centre about half a mile in.

 

    “Don’t sulk; you look lovely,” Loki said as they stopped walking and he turned to face her.

 

    “I feel violated,” Willow replied with a pout, crossing her arms at her chest.

 

    Loki rolled his eyes and moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her and telling her to hold on tight.

 

    “Keep your eyes closed; it’s very bright,” He warned, moving a hand to the back of her head once she did and cradling her face against his chest to shield her. When he was sure the Bifrost wouldn’t blind her, he turned his head up to the sky. “Heimdall; open the Bifrost.”

 

    Willow couldn’t see a thing - eyes closed tight and faced pressed to Loki’s chest and all - as they travelled through the portal, but she heard it all around her and made a mental note to try and find a spell that would protect her photosensitive eyes while she was in Asgard. Loki had told her that he didn’t know any, but admitted that he had never really thought to look, having no need for one himself.

 

    When they reached their destination Loki released her and slowly stepped back once she had done the same. “Is it safe?” Willow asked.

 

    “More or less,” Loki replied.

 

    Willow slowly opened her eyes, blinking as her vision cleared to its usual, slightly unfocused state. She looked around curiously until her eyes landed on Heimdall, who was observing her with a slight smile upturning a corner of his lips.

 

    “We meet at last, Willow Elizabeth Stranton,” He greeted with a slight bow, “I am Heimdall; Gatekeeper of Asgard and Watchman to the Nine Realms.”

 

    “Hi,” Willow greeted shyly, shifting somewhat awkwardly.

 

    “Come; let’s get this over with so I can take you home,” Loki cut in, grabbing one of her hands and walking away with her.

 

    Willow wave slightly at Heimdall, who inclined his head towards her, and let Loki lead her out of the domed room. Outside Willow stopped in her tracks suddenly as her eyes landed on the colourful bridge beneath her feet, stumbling forward a few steps as Loki caught on to the fact and stopped walking himself. He sighed slightly, having had a feeling that would happen, and waited patiently while Willow examined the bridge delightedly; smiling a bit when she giggled as the colours shifted when she moved.

 

    “Willow, as much as I am enjoying this; we really should keep moving,” Loki said after he let her have a moment.

 

    “R-right!” Willow replied, straightening up; an embarrassed blush spreading across her face.

 

    He led her forward and towards a waiting horse. Willow momentarily admired its lovely grey colour before her eyes were drawn to its legs - all eight of them - and her steps faltered slightly. Loki noticed and squeezed her hand slightly, getting her attention; he smiled encouragingly and she continued along until they were right up to the impressive animal.

 

    “Willow; this, as you have probably guessed, is Sleipnir,” Loki introduced, placing his free hand on the stallion’s forehead and stroking it affectionately before talking to him softly, “Sleipnir; this is Willow. She is mine; treat her kindly.”

 

    Sleipnir nodded, snorting slightly, then stepped forward and nuzzled Loki’s neck, earning a laugh from the god as he patted his neck. Once the greetings were done Loki helped Willow up onto the saddle, choosing not to admonish her for hiking up her skirt to her thighs so she could sit more comfortably, and then climbed up behind her; grabbing the reins, he coaxed Sleipnir forward in a slow trot so as to not jostle the inexperienced rider before him too much.

 

    “I gotta ask...” Willow began after a while, “Isn’t Sleipnir supposed to be Odin’s horse?”

 

    “He is; yes,” Loki replied with a smirk Willow couldn’t see.

 

    “And he just... let you borrow him, no problem?” Willow asked.

 

    “Not at all,” Loki replied, his smirk widening, “But I have every right to visit my son whenever I choose.”

 

    Willow’s thoughts ground to a halt and she turned around as best she could to look up at him in shock. “You were serious. That story’s true?!”

 

    “Well, that part is; the rest happened a bit differently than your myths,” Loki replied with a shrug, thoroughly amused by her reaction. It had been the second of three reasons he had chosen Sleipnir for this particular ride; the first had been a desire to see him, and the third was the possibility of annoying Odin.

 

    “But you did give birth to him?” Willow asked. Loki nodded and she gaped slightly, _“How?!”_

 

    “I _was_ a mare at the time,” Loki reminded.

 

    “That’s still a _lot_ of legs!” Willow said, pointing down at the appendages in question.

 

    “I never said it was easy,” Loki replied, wincing slightly at the memory. While he would never regret his child; that particular experience was not one he was overly keen on repeating.

 

    “Wait; does that mean the rest of the stories about your kids are true, too?” Willow asked, now very curious.

 

    “That will cost you a week,” Loki replied guardedly.

 

    Willow frowned, turning back to face forward. “You know you can just say you don’t wanna talk about it, right?”

 

    “Fine; I don’t want to talk about it,” Loki retorted.

 

****

 

    The rest of the ride to the palace was made in silence, and once there Loki returned Sleipnir to his stall personally while Willow stood outside the stables before they headed inside and made their way through the halls. Willow looked around a bit but stuck close to Loki, clinging to his arm as though he’d disappear if she let go.

 

    When they reached the doors to the throne room, Loki turned to her. “Do not speak until spoken to, and watch your words when you do.”

 

    “Got it,” Willow replied then took a deep breath as they turned back to the doors.

 

    Loki offered his arm to her again and Willow slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow; after another steadying breath, Loki led the way inside.

 

    As they walked down the hall and up to the stairs leading to the throne Loki groaned internally when he noticed that not only was Thor also there, but so were Sif and the Warriors Three. As if he didn’t have enough to worry about. Willow, of course, picked up on his tension immediately, which only served to make her nervous.

 

    When they reached the throne, Fandral spoke up before anyone else could. “So this is the mortal? Bit young for you, isn’t she?”

 

    “Oh, for the love of...” Willow huffed, slapping her forehead onto her palm exasperatedly.

 

    “For Valhalla’s sake; she’s a child!” Loki added indignantly.

 

    “My mistake,” Fandral replied with a laugh, raising his hands in surrender.

 

    “Enough. Step forward, child of Midgard,” Odin called. Willow bit her bottom lip slightly then let go of Loki and walked up to the bottom stair; looking up at the king with wide open eyes. Odin briefly recalled a time when he had called Loki before him when was about her age to address some misdeed of his then brought his mind back to the present. “The reason I have had you brought before me is because it has come to my knowledge that Loki has been training you in the ways of seidr wielding, and as Allfather it is my duty to ascertain that you will not pose a threat to any of the Nine Realms.”

 

    Willow blinked at him for a moment as his words sunk in. He thought she might be dangerous? _Her?_ To say the idea was bizarre would be an understatement.

 

    “Are you kidding me? The only thing I’m a threat to is food. I’m practically harmless!” Willow blurted out before she could stop herself. “Well, except for that _one_ guy in third grade. But he wouldn’t stop pulling my hair, so I’d say that punch was well deserved,” She added a bit more quietly.

 

    Silence met her words as those present regarded her with varying degrees of surprise and amusement while behind her Loki sighed deeply and buried his face in his hand.


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about saving this chapter for tomorrow, but I realised I didn't really want to. So you get two for one. Enjoy.

    Willow shifted self-consciously after she noticed everyone was staring at her, crossing her arms at her chest defensively when she heard a few sniggers. She hadn’t meant for that little outburst; she just couldn’t understand how anyone could think a girl like her could actually pose a threat to anything, even with what she’d learned from Loki. She wasn’t even that good, really. At least, so she thought. And now because of her big mouth everyone was staring at her and laughing.

 

    But then, what had she expected?

 

    “If that is the case, then we have little to discuss,” Odin replied after a moment, “I am, however, curious as to what bargains you have struck with Loki.”

 

    “Not much to tell,” Willow replied with a shrug, trying to ignore the slight burning in her eyes, “He teaches me magick, as long as I follow his instructions completely.”

 

    “I see. And what instructions would those be?” Odin asked.

 

    “Just... the lesson. Whatever we’re doing that day,” Willow replied, not sure what he wanted to hear.

 

    “And the cost to you?” Odin pried.

 

    “Nothing?” Willow replied confusedly.

 

    “I find it difficult to believe that Loki would provide such a service with nothing to gain for himself,” Odin said sceptically.

 

    “Well, I don’t know; I can’t exactly read his mind!” Willow cried out, wrapping her arms tighter around herself and shifting on her feet again.

 

    “You realise you could simply ask _me_ that, don’t you?” Loki interjected, having had enough. He moved to stand next to Willow and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly before turning back to Odin. “And if you _must_ know; what I get from teaching Willow is pleasant company and an excuse to be away from all of _you_.”

 

    “And I should trust this to be true?” Odin asked.

 

    “I truly don’t give a damn either way,” Loki replied.

 

    “Perhaps you should, if you wish to continue with this arrangement,” Odin warned.

 

    “And I am expected to trust you to leave it be?” Loki countered bitterly, moving up a few steps. “Why would you? After all, when have you ever cared about _my_ contentment?”

 

    “I always cared, Loki; until your _contentment_ hinged on wreaking _havoc_ across the realms!” Odin replied.

 

    _“Liar!”_ Loki spat angrily, taking them all by surprise.

 

    “Brother...” Thor tried to interject.

 

    “Don’t. You. _Dare,”_ Loki warned venomously, effectively silencing Thor.

 

    “Loki,” Willow called, moving up to him and placing her hand on his arm.

 

    Loki looked down at her, registering the worry in her violet eyes, then drew in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth. Looking back to Odin; he spoke evenly. “I don’t care what you believe of this because it holds no meaning; you will do what you will regardless, and so will I. But I will give fair warning; it would be pointless to try and stop me.”

 

    Odin eyed him for a moment, weighing his words. “Why do you care so much for this mortal child?”

 

    “Why not?” Loki asked back.

 

    Odin thought for a while, reviewing what he knew and considering his options. Meanwhile, Willow’s mind was in turmoil, running through many scenarios of how this could play out and none of them ending well. She didn’t want to lose Loki; he was the only person she had ever met who hadn’t singled her out and ridiculed her for her oddities. More than that, he took care of her; she hadn’t missed how he always made sure that she ate, or how he helped her with schoolwork, or how he always had soothing words for her whenever her day had been particularly trying.

 

    He did everything for her that her own parents never had.

 

    Odin seemed to reach a decision and spoke, his voice carrying easily throughout the room. “Loki; you expressly went against my wishes to stay away from Midgard. That cannot remain unpunished. Furthermore, you kept your tutelage of this mortal concealed knowing well that I would not simply overlook it. For this, you will be confined to your chambers until further notice.”

 

    Loki clenched his jaw but said nothing; he had actually expected worse. This punishment reminded him of what he used to get for his pranks as a child. However, it seemed that Odin was not quite finished speaking yet.

 

    “As for you, young lady...” Odin began, turning his attention to Willow, who visibly tensed, “I will need time to observe and decide whether you are safe to leave be. However Loki was quite insistent that you be returned home today so as to not interfere with your education and I am inclined to agree. If memory serves, you will be having some time away for the summer soon, yes?”

 

    “Y-yeah...” Willow replied, barely above a whisper, “In two weeks; I get two months off.”

 

    Odin nodded. “In two weeks, you will be brought to this realm again that I may set this matter to rest for good.”

 

    “But, what about...?” Willow trailed off and looked at Loki.

 

    “I have made my decision in that matter,” Odin replied, “Loki is not to leave Asgard under any circumstances.”

 

    “So I can’t see him for _two weeks?”_ Willow asked somewhat shakily.

 

    “It is for the best,” Odin replied, seemingly unfazed by the fact that Willow seemed to be on the verge of tears and Loki looked as though he had just been slapped.

 

    With that they were dismissed, with Loki being allowed out of the palace this once to take Willow home after explaining that she wouldn’t be able to get there on her own. Heimdall offered Willow a sympathetic look before sending them on their way, knowing things would be getting difficult for her soon.

 

****

 

    Once they were back on Midgard, Loki shapeshifted into his female form and drove Willow home. As they stood before the house they heard the sounds of arguing coming from within and Willow sighed heavily, dreading having to deal with that on top of everything. Loki placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly, hating having to leave her to this; she thought of one last thing she could offer, though it certainly would never be enough, and dug the key to her house out of a pocket.

 

    Loki took Willow’s hand and pressed the key to her palm then closed her fingers over it. “Here. I taught you how to check the wards; the house is yours whenever you need it.”

 

    Willow’s bottom lip quivered slightly but she was determined not to cry in front of Loki. She nodded, not trusting her voice, and Loki reached forward and wrapped her arms around her tightly; it simultaneously broke her heart and made her proud to see her little Willow trying to stay strong. She pressed a kiss to the top of the fair-haired girl’s head then reluctantly stood back.

 

    “I have to go now,” Loki said, her voice wavering just a fraction, “But know that I will never leave you, lítið einn.”

 

    And with that Loki turned, got back into her car and drove away. Willow watched her go then took a deep breath and walked into her house. She stood in the entryway for a moment before going upstairs to her room quickly, ignoring her parents’ voices. Once inside she locked the door and leaned on it. As the full weight of her new reality - temporary though it was - bore down on her, Willow slid down to the floor; she brought her knees up to her chest and, hugging them tightly, broke into sobs.

 

****

 

    Loki stepped off the Bifrost portal numbly, staring off to the horizon blankly. He had known that being separated from Willow would hurt, but he didn’t think it would be that bad. The look on her face as he left her was clear in his mind, and likely would be for some time. Without really thinking, he conjured a large orb of energy over his palm and willed it to show him Willow’s room, knowing that’s where she’d be. The image that came into focus forced a choked sound that was almost a whimper from his throat and he waved the orb away.

 

    Looking up, he faced Heimdall. “I owe you favours, but I would ask one more.”

 

    “We have our differences, Trickster, but for her sake I will keep you informed,” Heimdall replied solemnly.

 

    Loki bowed his head in thanks and left for the palace, all the while his hatred for Odin seething inside him, threatening to boil over.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had every intention of finishing this chapter yesterday, but I spent the day making jewellery instead.
> 
> I regret exactly no part of that decision.

    When Loki awoke the next morning the first thing he did was check on Willow. Odin may have forbidden him from leaving his chambers, but he never said he couldn’t look in on her, and Loki would make sure to exploit that and any other loophole he could find. There was a limit to how often and how long he could use the scrying orb as it was quite a taxing bit of magick over that kind of distance, but it was something.

 

    His anger at having yet another thing taken away from him had faded slightly overnight, leaving him with more room to worry about how well Willow could adjust to being alone again so suddenly. It was strange, caring about someone else’s wellbeing before his own after so very long, but there it was.

 

    A small smile found its way to his lips when he saw that she was still asleep. He had quickly grown fond of the sight; she looked so peaceful, so innocent. She really was a beautiful girl, even if she didn’t realise it, and Loki felt a surge of protective jealousy whenever he thought that the day would come when someone else would finally notice it.

 

****

 

    In another room, Odin stood before a small scrying pool observing Loki; unsure what to make of what he was seeing. He had been right in thinking that Loki cared for the mortal girl, but he wanted to know just how deep the affection went. He had to know, for the sake of the realms and they themselves, that Loki wasn’t just using her. Separating them hadn’t been easy, but he felt it was necessary; he figured two weeks would be enough time for Loki to get bored and move on if he would. If he didn’t... Well, he would deal with that then.

 

    Not for the first time he wished that Frigga were still alive. She had always understood Loki and the inner workings of his mind and heart so much better than he did; he would have liked to have her council in this. But in any case; the decision had been made, and now all he could do was to stand back and let it play out however it would.

 

****

 

    It had taken Willow a long time to fall asleep the previous night, but sometime after midnight exhaustion had finally won over and she drifted into thankfully dreamless slumber. Her alarm went off and she sluggishly reached over to her bedside table to turn it off. She lay there for a minute trying to wake her mind up enough to remember why getting up seemed like such a pointless thing to do, and then everything that had happened came back to her. She felt her chest tighten with emotion, but she had already exhausted her reserve of tears for the time being.

 

    Besides, she knew he wouldn’t want her to mope around feeling sorry for herself; not when there was work to be done. With that in mind, she got up and went about getting ready for school; making sure to take the key to Loki’s house with her in case either of her parents where home when she came back. It was the whole reason Loki had given her the key in the first place; he knew how they were to her after they’d had a fight.

 

    The school day went no different than any other, much to Willow’s relief; she wasn’t sure if she could have handled any extra trouble. There was a point before Gym class that someone ‘accidentally’ bumped into her and knocked her books to the floor, but that was hardly new. She simply knelt down and picked her things up before continuing on her way without missing a beat, ignoring the laughter around her. All in all, she thought she was doing okay all things considered.

 

    At least, until she got home.

 

    She was halfway down the stairs to the basement - after going to her room to change and do half her homework - for her lesson with Loki before she remembered that there wasn’t one today, nor would there be for at least two weeks. That was, assuming Odin would let them continue in the first place. Willow wasn’t really sure yet if she should hold out any hope for that.

 

    With a heavy sigh Willow walked back up the stairs and into the living room, plopping down on the couch heavily. She was reaching for the remote when she remembered her unfinished homework, and vaguely considered ignoring it, but then she thought about what Loki would say if he were there and reluctantly got up and went back to her room.

 

****

 

   Loki had tried to think of a way to civilly get rid of Thor, who insisted on paying him a visit, before simply giving up and literally shoving his brother out of the room with his seidr; ignoring the voice in the back of his mind that told him he’d pay for that later. As soon as the door was shut and locked in every way he could make it be, he went to check on Willow again. He had had a feeling she might go about the afternoon as they usually did (he had almost tried to leave his chambers to go to her house himself), and he was right; he’d looked in just as she was going to her basement and saw how she remembered that he wouldn’t be there today. The disappointment on her face easily mirrored what he felt inside.

 

    He couldn’t help the smile that formed when she dragged herself up to her room to finish her homework instead of leaving it for later like he knew she wanted to do. She had probably though about how he would scold her for it, he figured. He felt something stir within his breast again, something he hadn’t felt for a very long time before he’d met her; and it both lightened his spirits and terrified him all at once.

 

****

 

    Meanwhile, Thor had gone to the training grounds with his friends after Loki had unceremoniously ejected him from his chambers and had, after a bit of prodding, told them what had happened. They, of course, found the whole thing quite amusing.

 

    “He actually _threw_ you out?” Fandral asked, having been the first to manage to calm his laughter enough to speak.

 

    “It was less amusing from my end...” Thor grumbled.

 

    “Serves you right,” Sif added, punching his shoulder playfully, “You know how Loki likes to sulk.”

 

    “Aye; he does,” Thor agreed, “But I think it’s more than that this time.”

 

    “You think it has to do with the mortal,” Hogun reasoned, to which Thor nodded.

 

    “What; you think he misses her?” Fandral asked.

 

    “Of course he does,” Volstagg chimed in, earning curious looks.

 

    “What do you mean?” Thor asked.

 

    “I mean he has become very attached to the girl,” Volstagg replied.

 

    “But she is a child,” Sif scoffed, unsure where he was going with that.

 

    “Exactly.” Volstagg replied knowingly.

 

    It took a moment for the implication to sink in, but once it did surprise registered in the other warriors’ faces.

 

    “You think that _Loki_...?” Fandral began and Volstagg nodded slowly.

 

    “A mortal... A _human_ , no less... Truly?” Sif added.

 

    “I don’t think, my friends; I know,” Volstagg replied.

 

    A moment of silence followed as they all processed this revelation, and then Fandral broke it. “Well, say what you will about the man, but one has to admit; Loki certainly has a knack for the unexpected.”

 

****

 

    Willow slammed the door of her room closed behind her and locked it, tears streaming down her face. Her mother’s words still echoed over and over in her ears as she slumped into the chair at her desk.

 

    “I work hard all day to keep you fed and keep a roof over your head; the _least_ you can do is keep the damn place clean!” She had yelled as they stood in the kitchen, looking around at the dishes and cutlery that Willow had used to make dinner.

 

    At first Willow had tried to reason with her, telling her that she’d had every intention of cleaning up after they’d eaten, but her mother only told her to stop making excuses. Then she’d tried to placate her by apologising, but all that did was make her angrier.

 

    She’d yelled at Willow for ‘disrespecting her’ then slapped her across the face hard and screamed at her. “Why can’t you _ever_ do anything right?!”

 

    As she sat there staring ahead blankly, all Willow could think of was how badly she missed Loki. She wondered if he felt the same, then dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. Of course he did; he’d said himself that he wouldn’t leave her, just before he...

 

    _Oh, you idiot,_ Willow thought to herself harshly. She got up and went over to her schoolbag, fishing out the key Loki had given her, and then she made a decision. She grabbed her school stuff and packed another bag with a few days’ worth of clothes then climbed out her window and ran off, heading for Loki’s house without a backwards glance.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spot the reference! I just can't help myself. Not that I actually _try_ , mind...

    Loki missed Willow. A week into their separation he was ready to admit so aloud. He checked on her twice a day each day. It had become routine; the day felt incomplete otherwise. But it wasn’t enough. He missed teaching her, the way her face lit up whenever she got something right, the way she sometimes forgot her self-consciousness and cried out for joy and/or hugged him when the achievement was particularly big. He missed the way she got annoyed when he ruffled her hair yet unconsciously sought contact when she was distracted enough. He missed talking to her, listening to her ramble on about her day or vent out her frustrations over assignments she had trouble understanding and explaining what he could if the situation permitted.

 

    He missed her.

 

****

 

    Willow hadn’t bothered to go back to her house and neither of her parents tried to contact her to find out where she’d gone. If they even noticed she was gone at all. Not that she had expected them to; she had learned long ago that she could disappear off the face of the Earth and they wouldn’t bat an eye.

 

    It took most of the week, but Willow slowly got used to the idea that she wouldn’t see Loki again until summer break. She still missed him terribly, but at least she could manage to get through the day without wanting to cry or anything like that. Since she was staying in his house, she was free to practice her magick whenever she wanted, although she was careful not to overexert herself; she had a feeling Loki was keeping an eye on her - she could swear she was being watched every morning and when she got back from school - and she didn’t want the first words she heard from him again to be a lecture on the dangers of over-wielding.

 

    All in all she was doing well enough, she thought, but she still would give just about anything to make the days go by faster. She wanted her friend back.

 

****

 

    Thor stood before his father in the latter’s private chambers, a troubled expression on his face; he’d just come from visiting Loki again - something he’d done every other day for the past twelve days, both out of duty and a desire to see him - and was giving the king his report.

 

    “We actually spoke today; a real conversation with minimal sarcasm and barbed remarks,” Thor said, still unsure whether to be pleased or worried by the fact.

 

    The first few days Loki had been about as welcoming of his presence as Thor expected him to be, but as time went on he seemed to not mind it so much. Thor could even say he was glad for the company at this point, which spoke volumes to him of the level of desperation his brother was nearing; Loki never had taken very well to confinement, as long as he could remember.

 

    “And what did you speak of?” Odin asked, drawing Thor from his thoughts.

 

    “He wanted to know how the realms are faring, and of my recent battles in Alfheim and Nidavellir,” Thor replied, “And really anything beyond the confines of his chambers.”

 

    Odin hummed. “And the mortal; does he speak of her?”

 

    “More with each passing day,” Thor replied, adding bemusedly, “I begin to think that Volstagg was right after all.”

 

    Odin huffed a slight laugh. “He _would_ be the one to notice it. But I wonder if your brother has yet.”

 

    “You knew then? That Loki does actually care for the girl?” Thor asked in disbelief.

 

    “Of course I did; I am not completely blind,” Odin replied matter-of-factly.

 

    “Then why separate them this way? Surely there were ways to keep Loki from causing too much trouble and still allow them to see each other,” Thor said, bewildered.

 

    “Because while I may not know my son as well as I should, I know him enough,” Odin replied, “When have you ever known Loki to truly appreciate what he has while the distraction of what he could obtain is within sight?”

 

    Thor furrowed his brows. “So in order to make him see what he had, you placed it just out of reach?”

 

    “A decision not made lightly,” Odin confirmed. “I know his resentment towards me has only worsened, but it is my hope that this will teach him to value what’s important before he loses it for good.”

 

    “A lesson that would perhaps benefit us _all_ to revisit,” Thor mused. With that Odin dismissed his eldest, silently agreeing with his words.

 

****

 

    On the thirteenth day Willow woke up feeling giddier than she had for some time. She moved to get out of bed and then fell off of it with a yelp when she couldn’t disentangle her legs from the sheets in time; she struggled to get up - fighting her hair and wondering if she should just cut it to a more manageable length before immediately dismissing the idea - until finally she was on her feet then rushed to the bathroom to shower.

 

    Today was the day. _The_ day.

 

    As she ate breakfast - more out of habit than any doubt she’d be provided food in Asgard - she wondered how exactly she was getting to the Realm Eternal. It hadn’t really been discussed and she hadn’t been in any state to ask. She shrugged the though aside, figuring Odin would probably send Thor to pick her up; he _was_ the only other familiar with the realm, after all, and she doubted that Loki would be allowed to do it. With that in mind, she grabbed a bag she’d found in Loki’s room (it was enchanted to hold more than its size suggested and she’d practiced her glamour spells on it to turn it blue as a joke) and went about packing a few things she wanted with her, mainly clothes and books; she didn’t know how long she’d be allowed to stay and she wanted some familiar things at hand.

 

    She also grabbed Loki’s laptop and her music player (she still had plenty to share with him on that front) and was just placing them in the bag when she heard the sound of thunder coming from the yard. She only _just_ remembered to turn away from the door and shield her eyes in time before a column of light and colour struck down, revealing a certain God of Thunder as it dissipated. Thor walked over to the back door and stopped suddenly as he met one of Loki’s wards.

 

    “Oh; hang on!” Willow called then rushed over after slinging the bag over her shoulder and walked outside.

 

    “Hello, Willow. We’ve not properly met; I am Thor,” Thor greeted with a smile, holding out his hand.

 

    “Yeah; heard of you. Hi,” Willow replied awkwardly, eyeing his hand warily before reaching her own towards it.

 

    “Well, then; I’m sure you are quite eager to depart,” Thor said. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Once he was sure she was secure he looked up to the sky. “Heimdall; whenever you’re ready.”

 

    Willow shut her eyes tight and buried her face in Thor’s chest then felt herself being lifted and transported as the Bifrost was activated. When they arrived in Asgard Thor released her, though Willow took a moment before stepping back from him, rubbing her eyes and blinking rapidly when she did.

 

    “It was not that bad a trip, was it?” Thor asked, eyeing her in concern.

 

    “Nah; it’s just... bright,” Willow replied as her vision cleared, “Sensitive eyes.”

 

    “Welcome back, Willow,” Heimdall greeted with a smile.

 

    “Hi again,” Willow greeted back less shyly.

 

    “You should go; he is waiting. Not very patiently, I might add,” Heimdall commented.

 

    “Know the feeling,” Willow replied then turned to Thor and looked at him expectantly.

 

    “Right; let us be off,” Thor said then, with a nod to the Gatekeeper, led the way back to the palace.

 

****

 

    As they walked through the halls Thor chatted to Willow, asking her things about herself; he was very curious about her, and the hold she clearly had over his brother. He wondered if either of them were truly aware of it.

 

    Before they reached Loki’s chambers Willow turned to Thor. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

 

    “Of course,” Thor replied.

 

    “What does ‘lítið einn’ mean?” She asked.

 

    Thor looked at her curiously. “It means ‘little one’.”

 

    Willow’s steps faltered a bit and a look of annoyance crossed her face. “Right,” She said evenly.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my brain refused to English for a bit and I had to google a word, then things happened and I ended up playing with an online dollmaker for like an hour (don't even ask how I got there from a dictionary; blame my awesome ADHD powers XD) and I made Willow! Here she is: [Willow](http://s7.photobucket.com/user/Manah/library/By%20The%20Willow%20Shade?sort=9&page=1)

    Loki was concentrating all of his willpower into _not_ pacing a hole into the floor of the antechamber in his hall; the reason being that Odin had arrived some three minutes earlier to inform him that Thor would be arriving with Willow shortly and he didn’t want to appear as anxious and restless as he was feeling, though he knew well enough that pretty much everyone who knew of the situation was aware of it by now. Still, that didn’t mean he had to _show_ it.

 

    The doors opened and Thor walked in closely followed by a rather annoyed looking Willow. Loki was about to ask Thor what he’d done to upset her when she walked right up to him and punched his stomach, earning a light grunt that was mostly surprise and an utterly bewildered look.

 

    “I am _not_ that short!” Willow exclaimed by way of explanation.

 

    “Ah.” Loki knew exactly what she meant. She _had_ warned him, but he figured she would’ve forgotten about it by now. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “I’m going to have to disagree on _that_ , kettling.”

 

    Willow glared up at him, to which he responded with a grin. After a moment she faltered and smiled back then proceeded to launch herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Loki returned the hug, lifting her up; momentarily forgetting they weren’t alone in the room. At this moment he just couldn’t find it in him to care who was watching.

 

    When he set her down again Willow looked up at him with a grin. “Hi.”

 

    Loki breathed out a laugh then leaned his forehead against hers. “Hi.”

 

    After a moment they seemed to remember the other current occupants of the room and looked up at them; Thor was grinning at the sight before him and Odin had the tiniest of smiles he couldn’t quite help.

 

    “Soo...” Willow began somewhat hesitantly, “How long am I here for, anyway?”

 

    “You mentioned you have two months before your schooling resumes, did you not?” Odin asked back and Willow nodded. “Then you will remain here for two months; unless you wish to return sooner.”

 

    Willow just barely managed to stop herself from blurting ‘Not bloody likely’. “Oh; okay, then. And where am I staying?”

 

    “Here, of course,” Loki replied before anyone else could; although no-one actually intended to. “I’ve plenty of room. Come.”

 

    He took her hand and led her to a door opposite the one leading to his bedchambers; beyond it was a slightly smaller bedchamber, the furnishing of which implied it belonged to two children, although it didn’t appear to have been in use for some time. Loki looked around with a hint of sadness in his eyes before shaking his head slightly and leading her to one of the beds. It was slightly bigger than Willow’s own bed back home, with green sheets and warm-looking furs in shades of grey and brown.

 

    “Looks comfy,” Willow said, unslinging her borrowed bag from her shoulder and placing it on the mattress.

 

    Loki arched an eyebrow at the altered colour of his bag but made no comment on it. “The bathchambers are through there,” He pointed to a door to the other side of the room. “I’ll show you how to fill the bath later; I know you’ll prefer it over letting the maids do it for you.”

 

    “Much appreciated,” Willow replied. She didn’t like the thought of people doing such mundane things for her; it was too weird.

 

    “Come, then; no doubt Odin wants to speak to you. You’ll have time to settle in later,” Loki said then turned and led the way back to the other room, Willow following close behind.

 

    Once they reached the others Odin turned to them and, gesturing to the door leading out of Loki’s hall, spoke to Willow. “Walk with me, child.”

 

    Willow looked back at Loki, who offered her a slight reassuring smile, and then followed the king out the door.

 

****

 

    Odin led her through the hallways at a leisurely pace, the occasional glance in her direction making him take notice of her clear nervousness that only seemed to increase as they walked.

 

    “You need not be so fearful, child; I have no intent to bring harm upon you,” The king said after a while.

 

    “Forgive me if I’m not particularly inclined to take your word for it,” Willow replied.

 

    “I know that you must think me cruel for separating you and Loki so suddenly and for so long, and perhaps I was...” Odin stopped walking and turned to her fully. “But what I did, I did for the good of all; you and my son included.”

 

    “How, exactly?” Willow asked sceptically.

 

    “How well do you know him? What he has done?” Odin countered.

 

    “You mean the New York thing, don’t you? ’Cause he told me about that; and why he did it,” Willow replied, crossing her arms at her chest.

 

    “That is one thing; yes. But there is more,” Odin said, “Has he spoken to you of Jötunheim?”

 

    Willow rubbed her lips together. “Some... He doesn’t like to talk about it, and I make a habit of not prying into bad memories.”

 

    “He attempted to destroy the realm and slay all who inhabit it,” Odin said.

 

    Willow was quiet for a moment. “Why?”

 

    Odin’s eyebrows raised slightly and he huffed a laugh. “Where most would condemn, you seek reasons. Curious child.”

 

    “Guess fifteen years of being judged by appearance have taught me not to do the same,” Willow replied wryly, shrugging a shoulder.

 

    “I can see why he would begin to grow fond of you; you are very much alike him in his youth,” Odin mused, “As for his reasons; it was partially my doing. I concealed an important truth from him for too long and he found out in the worst of ways. Loki is, despite his acting to the contrary, a deeply emotional creature; it can get the best of him, and when he is pushed too far the results tend to be very destructive.”

 

    “Yeah; I can definitely see that,” Willow commented. “But that still doesn’t explain how separating us was for the best.”

 

    “I needed to be certain that his closeness to you was for its own sake, and not because he is planning something with what gifts you possess,” Odin replied. “It was not an easy decision to make, I assure you. And no doubt it will take quite some time to forgive, if it is even possible.”

 

    Willow gave it some thought. “Alright; I can accept that.”

 

    Odin huffed a humourless laugh. “If only Loki could be so easily swayed.”

 

    “You care about him; I can see that now,” Willow said softly. “You just need to work on your approach,” She added with a slight laugh.

 

    Odin chuckled. “Words often told to me by my late wife.”

 

****

 

    Meanwhile back in Loki’s chambers Thor sat by the fireplace watching his brother pacing back and forth across the room as he waited for Odin to return Willow to him. Thor had tried to reassure Loki that nothing would happen to the girl after the latter tried to eavesdrop on their conversation to find he couldn’t, but to no avail; it seemed that the Trickster was determined to assume the worst.

 

    “Brother, if he intended to harm her; why would he let her roam free out of his immediate reach in a clearly fragile emotional state for two weeks?” Thor tried to reason.

 

    “To torment me,” Loki replied distractedly, not even bothering to look at him.

 

    Thor sighed and rolled his eyes, giving up. He would just have to wait for his father to return the girl; clearly nothing else would calm his anxious brother.

 

    Loki suddenly whirled around and headed into the bedchambers he had given Willow. Thor followed, curious, to find him unpacking Willows belongings from his bag. He put the books away on a bookshelf in between the two beds and folded her clothes, pausing for a moment at the chest where he intended to place them and running his fingers lightly over the clothes already within. Taking a deep breath, Loki carefully took them out and replaced them with Willow’s then took them over to another chest in the corner of the room. The laptop and music player he left on the bed for her.

 

    When he was finished he heard a door in the other room open and returned there just in time for Willow to run up to him and wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. With a chuckle he returned it, running a hand up and down her back and placing a kiss on the top of her head.

 

    “See?” Thor commented, walking up to them.

 

    “Oh, hush,” Loki retorted, earning a laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'kettling' = 'kitten'


	10. Chapter Nine

    Thor left a little while later, and Loki had pulled Willow into a seat by the fireplace, sat across for her then proceeded to make her tell him about everything that happened in the time they’d been apart. Willow told him about the argument with her mother (leaving out the part where she’d slapped her, of course), the usual deal with her fellow classmates, and how she’d passed her final exams with mostly A’s and B’s (which he made sure to express how proud he was of). Loki listened to her ramble on about a band she’d discovered and the last book she read with a slight smile on his face; he had truly missed this. He knew most of what she told him (and many things she didn’t) from the news Heimdall sent him, but he liked the way she expressed her thoughts and feelings; it was so distinctly _her._

 

    After a while, Willow finished recounting and turned the conversation to him. “So; what’ve _you_ been up to?”

 

    “Why; trying to take over the realm, of course!” Loki replied lightly, to which she laughed, and then spoke more seriously. “I’ve been reading, working on new spells - and no, I will not teach you,” He said as Willow opened her mouth, earning a pout. “I’ve also had to endure Thor’s sudden interest in my daily life, which he continuously denied had anything to do with Odin ordering him to check in on me and report to him afterwards.”

 

    Willow briefly considered telling him about what Odin had told her then thought better of it. “Aww, poor you; that must have been truly _horrible,”_ She said jokingly.

 

    “Oh, it was. I know not how I survived it,” Loki joked back.

 

    Willow burst into laughter again then shuffled across the seat towards him and settled against his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders instinctively and they gazed into the fire in comfortable silence.

 

    After a long while, Willow spoke softly. “I missed you.”

 

    “And I you,” Loki replied just as softly.

 

****

 

    They had lunch in Loki’s chambers with only each other for company, but when the time came for dinner Thor dropped by to tell them that they were both expected in the feast hall, which immediately soured Loki’s mood as he had been hoping to have Willow to himself for the rest of the day. His concern wasn’t entirely selfish, though; he knew there would be questions regarding the teenager, and Willow didn’t exactly like being crowded. It was inevitable that she’d be met with much curiosity considering she’d be there for two months, but Loki still wanted to spare her as much unwanted attention as possible. In the end, it wasn’t as though they had much choice, and so after Willow changed out of the green sundress and black crop-top she was wearing and into the dress she’d worn her first time in the realm, they followed after Thor.

 

    Even before entering the room Willow could tell there were a lot of people in it (the noise was a dead giveaway), and she bit her bottom lip and tried to stamp down the nervousness that was beginning to bubble up inside her; she didn’t like being the centre of attention and it was more than likely she would be for a while at least, though she could at least console herself with the knowledge that the staring would have more to do with the fact that she was human and not her albinism. Still, she would have preferred to stay in Loki’s rooms over this.

 

    Loki noticed her unease and hooked two fingers around two of hers, getting her attention. “You’ll be fine, lítið einn.” He leaned down slightly so she could hear him as he lowered his voice. “If anyone gives you trouble; you can always turn them into frogs.”

 

    Willow tried and mostly failed to suppress a laugh. “Got it.”

 

    Loki grinned then led the way in. The scent of food that assaulted Willow’s nostrils made her mouth water; she hadn’t even realised she was that hungry. As they walked through the room conversations ceased as people noticed them and subsequently turned curious eyes to her, causing Willow to speed up her steps a bit to walk closer to Loki. It wasn’t that she was worried anyone would hurt her, but she didn’t want to risk anyone talking to her just yet and knew most would be wary of approaching the younger prince.

 

    They reached a table at the head of the room without incident and Loki sat Willow down between himself and Thor then proceeded to fill her plate with things he figured she would like, not really thinking about his actions, before filling his own plate. Odin watched him from his seat next to Thor, a corner of his lips turning up ever so slightly, before returning to his own meal. Willow speared a piece of meat on her fork, took a somewhat tentative bite, and then proceeded to wolf the rest of it down after deciding she liked it with a speed that surprised Thor and made Loki roll his eyes.

 

    “Do remember to chew every so often; will you?” Loki commented sarcastically.

 

    “Where’s the fun in that?” Willow replied through a mouthful while reaching for her cup of... she didn’t really know what yet.

 

    “Suit yourself, but when you begin choking to death, _I_ won’t help you,” Loki said; grabbing her cup first to check its contents before handing it to her after seeing that it was not alcohol.

 

    Willow gulped down half the contents of the cup then scoffed. “Sure you would; you’d be too bored without me around.”

 

    At that Loki and Odin chuckled and Thor burst into laughter, earning a few stares from the other people at the table and a few nearby. Sif and the Warriors Three, who were in the seats across from them, looked between the teenager and Loki curiously, save for Volstagg, who was laughing along with Thor.

 

    “I am not the only who thinks this a bit bizarre; am I?” Fandral asked his fellows; taking care to keep his voice low enough so as to not be heard across the table.

 

    “You are not,” Sif replied, “I’m not convinced Loki’s intentions towards that girl are benign.”

 

    “You propose we keep an eye on them when we can?” Hogun guessed.

 

    “I know _I_ will,” Sif replied.

 

    “Well, that’s settled then,” Fandral said; agreeing with Sif.

 

    “I warn you, my friends; leave them be, lest you incur Loki’s wrath,” Volstagg warned knowingly, “And trust me; this will not be like times past.”

 

    “We know well your thoughts on the matter, Volstagg; that doesn’t mean we agree with them,” Sif replied.

 

    Volstagg shrugged. “Suit yourselves.”

 

    As Volstagg returned to his food Fandral turned to Willow. “Willow; wasn’t it?” She gave him a nod. “I’m curious; how did you meet Loki?”

 

    Willow looked at Loki, who shrugged uncaringly, and then turned back to Fandral. “I accidentally summoned him to my house.”

 

    They all looked at her in surprise. “That is quite a feat; especially for a mortal, and one so young,” Sif said.

 

    “I got lucky,” Willow dismissed, looking down at her plate, “I didn’t know what I was doing.”

 

    “Luck may have played a part, but such an act requires no small degree of talent,” Odin said, “Talent that should not be so easily dismissed.”

 

    Willow blushed. “Really; it’s not that big a deal. I could’ve ended up summoning any number of creatures instead,” She said sheepishly.

 

    “You don’t take very well to compliments; do you?” Fandral asked somewhat amusedly.

 

    “I don’t get them much,” Willow replied.

 

    “More like you choose not to hear them now,” Loki commented.

 

    “Oh, shut up,” Willow said with a slight laugh.

 

    “Where’s the fun in that?” Loki used her own words against her with a smirk.

 

    “I don’t think I like you anymore,” Willow retorted jokingly, earning a laugh from the Trickster.

 

****

 

    After dinner Loki had to return to his chambers and Willow followed him, not quite ready to be around so many strangers by herself. As promised, Loki showed her how to fill the bathtub, and she basked in the warm water contentedly while he left for his own. When she was done and dressed for bed she walked out to the bedchamber to find Loki lounging on one of the beds, one of his legs hanging off the edge, resting his head on one arm while the other tossed a round object up in the air before catching it.

 

    “Don’t you have your own bedroom?” Willow teased.

 

    “Technically; these are _all_ my rooms,” Loki retorted easily. He sat up then patted the spot next to him. Once she walked over and sat down he presented the object - a glassy-looking orb - to her. “I found this among my things, and I would like you to have it.”

 

    Willow took the orb and turned it over, examining it; it was the size of her hand and at first glance dark, almost black, but when it caught the light it seemed to shimmer with colour. It reminded her of an opal or a prism, and it was very calming to look at. She also felt a subtle hum of energy from it; it was soothing, and she felt her troubles begin to melt away the longer she held it.

 

  “Pretty...” Willow said then looked back up at Loki. “What is it?”

 

    “A gift from my mother,” Loki replied. He placed a hand on the orb. “I used to have terrible nightmares as a child; she gave me this to soothe my mind.”

 

    “Well, then why are you giving it to me?” Willow asked.

 

    Loki looked at her fondly. “Because I don’t need it anymore.” He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I’ve found something better.”


	11. Chapter Ten

    The next five days were spent mostly in Loki’s chambers barring dinnertime, alternating between practical lessons and Loki simply explaining things and reading to her from his books on the subject when Willow needed rest; as well as enjoying each other’s company, with Loki telling her of his childhood and the trouble he and Thor got themselves into. By the sixth day, however, Willow’s curiosity got the better of her and when Thor stopped by she asked him if he would show her around the palace, seeing as Loki still couldn’t leave his chambers. Thor happily agreed while Loki only reluctantly accepted it; he knew the Thunderer would never let anything happen to Willow, but he still didn’t like the idea overmuch. They would likely meet with Thor’s friends and he wasn’t comfortable with her being around them, save _maybe_ Volstagg.

 

    Thor led Willow through hallways at a leisurely pace, letting her take in her surroundings with wide eyes full of wonder, occasionally pointing out various rooms and telling her of his and Loki’s childhood and teenaged exploits within. They had been heading out to the courtyards so Thor could show her the gardens when they met with a slender blonde woman dressed in green. She smiled at Thor, who regarded her somewhat coolly, and then her eyes looked Willow from head to toe; taking in the shades upon her face to protect her eyes, her emerald green tank top, black long fingerless gloves, black ankle-length maxi skirt, and black combat boots with something of a sneer.

 

    “So you are Loki’s new pet?” The woman said disdainfully. “They get younger every time.”

 

    Thor opened his mouth to respond, but Willow beat him to it; eyeing the woman in much the same way. “Let’s see; blonde hair, green eyes, bitchy attitude... You _must_ be Amora,” She crossed her arms and shifted her weight from one foot to another, “Still chasing after one of the few guys who want nothing to do with you, huh?”

 

    Amora bristled. “It figures Loki’s little _harlot_ would have no manners,” She spat.

 

    “That is enough, Amora,” Thor warned then added, “And she is nothing of the kind.”

 

    “Well; if _he_ said so, it simply _must_ be true,” Amora replied sarcastically.

 

    “I said _enough_ , Amora,” Thor repeated more forcefully.

 

    Amora huffed then gave a too-sweet smile. “But of course, my prince.” With that, she glared at Willow once more, turned and continued on her way.

 

    When she was gone Willow turned to Thor exasperatedly. “You know; I don’t really care what _she_ thinks, but why does everybody immediately assume that? Is it really that hard to believe that Loki and I are _just friends?!”_

 

    “It is rather difficult to believe that Loki _has_ friends, to be honest,” Thor replied with a slight laugh. “But I for one made no such assumptions; you are practically a child, no offense, and I know my brother well enough to know he would never even think to see you as anything more than that.” He placed a hand on Willow’s shoulder and leaned down slightly. “And even if he did; he would certainly not pursue it before you were of age.”

 

    At that Willow grimaced. “Oh, dude, ew, no. No. No. Don’t even say that; that’s disturbing.”

 

    Thor laughed. “I am only stating what I know to be true.”

 

    “Then kindly keep information like that to yourself,” Willow replied, swatting his hand away, “Now I believe you promised me gardens.”

 

    Thor chuckled. “Indeed I did, fair maiden.” He offered his arm to her with a grin. “Shall we?”

 

    Willow giggled at the double meaning of the adjective then placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. “We shall.”

 

****

 

    Loki stood on the balcony of his bedchambers, which overlooked one of the gardens, leaning against the railing; a small smile upturning his lips as he watched the scene bellow. He had figured Thor would take Willow to the gardens as she had expressed a liking for the outdoors one of the times Thor had visited Loki’s chambers, and it was clear to see even from a distance that the girl was very much enjoying the scenery. He felt a twinge of regret and anger that he couldn’t be the one to show her but he quickly stamped it down; he wasn’t going to let his temper ruin things. He had to be patient, for both their sakes.

 

    Sensing someone in the room Loki adopted his usual mask of indifference and turned to greet his visitor. “Allfather. She isn’t here.”

 

    “I’m aware,” Odin replied, stepping further into the room, “I came to speak with you, my son.”

 

    “I am not your son,” Loki retorted stonily.

 

    Odin sighed. “I know you do not believe it, but what I did, I did for your own good and hers.”

 

    “Yes, clearly abandoning her to her abusive parents did wonders for her well-being,” Loki replied sarcastically.

 

    “From what Heimdall told me, she spent very little time in her own home, as you gave her the key to yours,” Odin remarked and Loki blinked in surprise. “Did you think you would be the only one to ask Heimdall to keep an eye on her? I didn’t miss or ignore how distraught she was at your separation; had it been necessary I would have sent for her to be brought here sooner.”

 

    “Why would you care?” Loki asked suspiciously.

 

    Odin huffed slightly. “I may not always have been a good one, but I am still a father; I am not immune to a child’s distress.”

 

    Loki considered the reply for a moment then turned back to the balcony. “Say what you wish to say and leave me be; I have to plan Willow’s next lesson,” He said impassively.

 

    “I am considering granting you a greater measure of freedom,” Odin declared.

 

    Loki looked over shoulder a bit. “How much greater?”

 

    “You would be allowed from here to the library, the courtyard, and the training grounds,” Odin replied.

 

    “I see...” Loki said, outwardly appearing unmoved. “And what would such consideration cost me, exactly?”

 

    “Introspection,” Odin replied simply, and then he turned and left; leaving Loki to wonder just what that meant.

 

****

 

    After a thorough exploration of the courtyards and several of the gardens Thor had offered to show Willow the training grounds, but she declined in favour of returning to Loki’s chambers for some much needed lunch. As soon as she walked through the doors to Loki’s sitting room, she rushed over to the table he sat before and launched herself onto the seat across from him then excitedly told him about everything she’d seen while they ate. Loki listened to her intently, the small smile never leaving his face.

 

    When she was finished Loki spoke. “I might soon be able to show you the things you missed...”

 

    “What do you mean?” Willow asked curiously through a mouthful of roasted boar (which she had developed quite a liking to).

 

    “Swallow first,” Loki admonished, still trying to rid her of that particular habit. “Odin stopped by earlier. He claimed he was considering allowing me to leave these chambers.”

 

    Willow swallowed. “Really? Cool.”

 

    Loki hummed. “That would depend on whether or not I can pay his price.”

 

    “Which is...?” Willow asked.

 

    “I have no idea,” Loki replied.

 

    “O... kay...” Willow said bemusedly. “Well; what did he actually say?”

 

    “He said his price was ‘introspection’,” Loki replied, “But I’ve no idea what exactly it is he wants me to think over.”

 

    “Huh. Well, that’s not helpful at all,” Willow huffed. She picked at a piece of fruit she’d randomly picked up. “What were you talking about before?”

 

    “You,” Loki replied.

 

    “Me? Why?” Willow asked confusedly.

 

    “I may have express discontent over his decision to send you home alone,” Loki replied vaguely.

 

    “Oh. Ohh...” Willow said, seeming to come to a realisation.

 

    “What?” Loki asked curiously.

 

    “Family,” Willow replied. Loki raised an eyebrow and she elaborated, “That’s what he wants you to think about; family. _Your_ family.”

 

    “He knows perfectly well how I feel about my _‘family’_ ,” He spat out the word bitterly.

 

    “Does he?” Willow pressed. “Do _you?”_

 

    “Most of the family I had is dead,” Loki replied coolly.

 

    “Loki, you _do_ realise that to hate someone, they have to still have a place in your heart; right?” Willow asked. Loki looked away and Willow sighed. “Well; I think I need a bath,” She declared then stood and walked over to the door leading out of the room, where she stopped and looked over her shoulder, “And if you really hate someone that badly; you don’t try so hard to get their attention.”

 

    Loki looked towards the door as Willow walked out then stood and went over to the nearest window. He looked out to the horizon and considered Willow’s words; they reminded him of something Frigga had told him once centuries ago, when he had been particularly angry at being brushed aside yet again. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, realising unravelling his true thoughts and feelings would likely take a while.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by binge-listening to Amaranthe's discography; which doesn't actually have anything to do with the chapter, I just can't stop listening to it these days.
> 
> Seriously. Send help.
> 
> As you will see, I've changed my writing style a slight bit. I'll edit the other chapters to match whenever I feel motivated enough to go through all of them.

    “Willow; for the last time: No!” Was the first thing that Thor and Odin heard as Loki walked into the more private dining hall reserved for the royal family with a rather exasperated look on his face.

 

    “Oh, come on! Pleeeease?” Willow pleaded insistently as she followed him in, “I’ll give you a month!”

 

    “You could give me the rest of your life; the answer is still no,” Loki snapped with a finality to his tone as he dropped down to his seat.

 

    Willow pouted but said no more as she sat down beside him as usual and wasted no time in digging into her food. The day’s lesson had been exhausting; Loki wanted to find what her new limits were, as he did once every month, and she was absolutely ravenous. Thor shared a look with Odin at that odd exchange, somewhere between curious and concerned as to what it could mean.

 

    “What do you mean, ‘give a month’?” Thor asked Willow.

 

    “It’s just a thing we do,” Willow replied vaguely, barely looking up from her food.

 

    “Care to elaborate?” Odin asked Loki.

 

    “Simply a lesson in moderation,” Loki replied nonchalantly, “Few things in life are free, and nobody likes to owe another.”

 

    “So she barters for favours with days of her life?” Thor asked incredulously.

 

    Loki rolled his eyes. “Well, what else would she use? She has nothing of value.”

 

    “She’s also sitting right here and is not deaf,” Willow spoke up in annoyance.

 

    “And what exactly do you intend to do with said days?” Odin asked rather sharply.

 

    “Whatever I want; they _are_ mine now, after all,” Loki replied casually.

 

    “And you agreed to this?” Thor asked Willow.

 

    “Seemed like a good idea at the time. I really wanted something,” Willow replied with a shrug.

 

    “And just how much time has been given by now?” Odin asked next.

 

    Willow thought for a moment. “You know, I’m not really sure.” She looked to Loki questioningly.

 

    “How very responsible,” Loki said sarcastically. “You’ve given me thirty-seven days.”

 

    Willow mulled it over. “Eh; for almost five months, that’s not so bad.”

 

    “This practise cannot continue,” Odin said disapprovingly.

 

    “That isn’t really your choice, _Allfather_. It’s _her_ life,” Loki replied testily.

 

    “As she is not an adult, her life is not hers to give just yet,” Odin said simply.

 

    “Okay, are we seriously going to keep talking about me like I’m not here?” Willow cut in.

 

    “What were you even asking for?” Thor asked suddenly, as though just remembering.

 

    Willow was about to reply, but Loki beat her to it. “Nothing. She will not be getting it, and it will be discussed no further.”

 

   Willow whined childishly but Loki only rolled his eyes and continued eating. Odin looked between them thoughtfully before returning to his own plate, still thinking about their arrangement. It wasn’t that he was worried for Willow’s safety - despite Loki’s penchant for chaos, he knew he wouldn’t put her in danger willingly - and he certainly did get the idea behind it, but he didn’t think it was altogether a good idea to teach the girl to use her own life as currency.

 

****

 

    The next day found Willow sitting in a corner of one of the gardens - dressed in a dark purple t-shirt with a lighter shade button up worn open and tied at the bottom over it, black cargo pants tucked into her combat boots, and her sunglasses perched on her nose - tossing the orb Loki had given her on her first day there into the air and catching it easily, much like he had been. Sometime later she heard animated chatter nearing, followed by Fandral and Sif. They paused when they noticed her and walked over.

 

    “Good morning, Willow. Tired of Loki’s presence already?” Fandral greeted with a grin.

 

    “He’s in a mood,” Willow replied vaguely.

 

    “He tends to be,” Sif said with a slight scoff.

 

    “Yeah, well; he’s got a lot on his mind,” Willow said slightly defensively.

 

    Fandral let out a laugh. “No one would doubt that; he’s always plotting something.”

 

    Willow bristled slightly at that and stood. “Right, of course, that _must_ be it,” She said shortly then began to walk away.

 

    “You are awfully defensive of him,” Fandral commented as they followed after her.

 

    “Your point?” Willow said without looking at him.

 

    “Well, it merely makes one wonder...” Fandral replied, letting the implication hang in the air.

 

    “You people are twisted; you know that?” Willow said exasperatedly, “I mean, seriously; is that all you think about?”

 

    “Him? Basically,” Sif replied with a snort. “But it must be said, it is a bit suspect that you put so much faith in him.”

 

    Willow stopped walking and turned to them with a glare. “You wanna know why I trust him so much? It’s actually really simple: He _earned_ it. You wanna know how? Again simple: He’s the first person in my entire sixteen years of life who has ever actually given even half a damn about me. Imagine that!”

 

    With that she turned around again and stormed off, leaving the warriors to look at each other somewhat guiltily. She ended up in another part of the gardens she hadn’t been to before, not that she even noticed, and climbed up the highest tree there to sit in the branches. It was an old habit; the bullies she grew up around either couldn’t climb very well or didn’t think she was worth the trouble, so it was the perfect escape. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there gazing into the orb, mesmerised by the swirling colours as they calmed her, when she heard someone speak below her.

 

    “Peaceful; isn’t it?” Odin called up to her, “Frigga had quite a talent for it.”

 

    “So I’ve heard,” Willow replied, sitting up and looking down at the king.

 

    “Do you know? This was her favourite garden,” Odin continued, looking around fondly, “She spent much time here. It feels as though some of her lingers still, even now.”

 

    “I honestly didn’t notice where I was; I just wanted to be away,” Willow admitted. She more-or-less carefully moved from the branches she was sitting on and dropped down to the ground with her usual (lack of) grace then looked around. “It’s beautiful.”

 

    “A clear reflection of she who tended to it,” Odin said, “I admit to be somewhat surprised you did not escape to Loki’s hall, given the subject of your discussion with Fandral and Sif.”

 

    Willow looked at him somewhat surprised. “Do I want to know how you know about that?”

 

    Odin chuckled then pointed up. Willow followed his direction and saw a pair of ravens circling above them.

 

    “The purpose of bringing you to this realm was to observe. Did you not wonder how?” Odin said lightly.

 

    “Ah. Okay then; that’s not at all unsettling,” Willow replied. “As for my not going back to Loki; he needed some time to himself, which is the whole reason I left in the first place, and I didn’t feel like staying in my room.”

 

    “I see. I assume, then, that he told you of our conversation while you were with Thor?” Odin asked.

 

    “He did.”

 

    “I suppose it might be a good sign; his need for solitude,” Odin mused. “He has much to think on. As indeed do I. I can only hope this reflection does not come too late.”

 

****

 

    By lunch time Willow returned to Loki’s hall, given that her other option was the feast hall and she really didn’t want to risk facing Fandral and/or Sif again quite so soon; she was still a little upset over their conversation. When she walked into the sitting room Loki was just sitting down at the table. She walked over and took her usual seat across from him, filling her plate without a word.

 

    Loki took one look at her and immediately noticed something was off. “What happened?”

 

    “Nothing major,” Willow replied with a slight shrug.

 

    Loki raised an eyebrow then frowned slightly. “Who was it?”

 

    “Thor’s friends,” Willow replied, knowing he’d get the answer out of her eventually and not wanting to beat around the bush.

 

    “Of course,” Loki scoffed disdainfully. “About me, I presume?” He guessed and she nodded, “I’m sorry.”

 

    “Not your fault; people think what they think,” Willow said somewhat bitterly.

 

    “I hope at least they didn’t ruin your entire morning.”

 

    “Nah; I spent most of it in your mom’s garden,” Willow said with a small smile.

 

    “It is peaceful, isn’t it?” Loki said with a wistful smile. “I spent much of my childhood in there; it’s where she taught me a lot of what I know.”

 

    They ate mostly in silence then moved to the balcony for Willow’s lesson; he was teaching her to manipulate wind to her will, so they needed the outdoors, or at least as close as Loki could get to it. When Willow was tired they moved back inside and settled on the couch in front of the fireplace, where Loki busied himself with Willow’s hair, tying it into braids.

 

    “Have you thought about it?” Willow asked after a while.

 

    “About what?” Loki asked back absently.

 

    “You know what.”

 

    Loki was silent for a long while then sighed softly. “It is complicated, lítið einn.”

 

    “It’s even more complicated if you don’t even try,” Willow said, turning around to face him.

 

    “I have tried, Willow. Many times,” Loki replied, sitting back and looking at the ceiling, “I’m not sure it’s worth it anymore. If it ever was.”

 

    “Then be sure,” Willow said, moving closer to him and nestling into his side, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. “Make sure. You might find something, or you might not. But at least you’ll know,” She added then tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

 

    “Sleep, lítið einn,” Loki half whispered draping an arm over her shoulders.

 

    Loki gazed into the fire long after Willow drifted off, thinking about her words. He knew she was right; it was better to know for sure if there was anything worth keeping of his ties, regardless of what the answer was. He looked down at Willow’s peaceful expression and felt that familiar lightening of his heart. With every day that passed he accepted it more, despite his reluctance to put himself in that position again. He only hoped that this time it would turn out better.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fuelled by beer and the exploiting of my over 800-song Spotify playlist. Enjoy.

    There weren’t many choices in life that Willow regretted, but her latest one was certainly one of them. As she ran through the streets of Asgard, trying not to collide with anything or anyone, she wondered what in all the worlds had possessed her to do what she had.

 

    It had begun harmlessly enough; she’d woken up, taken a bath and had her breakfast with Loki as usual, and then decided that she wanted to explore the palace after her first lessons. Loki hadn’t been too happy about her wandering alone, but there really wasn’t much of a reason not to let her aside from his own general worries that he wasn’t about to tell her of; she’d never let it go if she knew. Most of the people she passed by eyed her curiously - and some of the noblewomen frowned at the loosely-fitting green tunic (that she may or may not have stolen from Loki and altered to fit her) and the black jean shorts she wore - but otherwise paid her little mind; the guards only bothering to acknowledge her when she tried to go into rooms that were off limits to the general public.

 

    Eventually she found her way to the library (and flirted with the idea of moving in there for life), where she spent the next four hours. That was when she found a book tucked away in a seemingly little-travelled corner; it was large and heavy, clearly very old but well cared for, and practically hummed with power. As she skimmed through the pages Willow realised it was a spellbook.

 

    She considered putting it back. She really did.

 

    Instead she kept reading, eventually coming upon a teleportation spell. She thought about it for all of thirty seconds before taking the book to an even more secluded corner of the library and reading through what she needed to do several times. When she thought she had it she set the book down and stepped back; concentrating, she called up her energy and set it to work shaping that of the world around her, willing it to move her across the room.

 

    That _had_ been the plan, anyway...

 

    To say she overshot would be an understatement akin to saying the ocean is a bit of water. Her first indication that something had gone wrong was the bright sunlight that assaulted her vision even through her closed eyelids, causing her to yelp slightly and lose her concentration, which in turn launched her backwards and onto the floor quite painfully. She opened her eyes, shielding them from the overhead glare with her hands and dearly wishing she had her sunglasses with her, and looked around, finding herself in what seemed to be a park of some kind.

 

    _Oh, way to go, genius,_ Willow scolded herself as she got up and dusted herself off. When her eyes adjusted to the brightness as much as they could she began to walk, intending to find her way back to the palace.

 

    She hadn’t been walking for ten minutes when she bumped into what felt like a wall as she turned a corner. It was in fact a man, a warrior she’d seen every night she had dinner in the feast hall; one she had caught staring at her in a way that made her very uncomfortable more than once.

 

    “Well, well; what have we here?” The man - Erling, she remembered his name was - commented to his two companions, a malicious grin upturning his lips.

 

    “I was not aware pets were allowed to roam freely so far from their masters,” One of the other men - Hákon - added with a sneer.

 

    “Perhaps our _esteemed_ prince is done with this one,” The other - Snorri - suggested, eyeing Willow like prey.

 

    Willow was no fool, she knew exactly how dangerous the situation could turn if she didn’t act quickly, and so she did. Bracing herself against the pain it would inevitably bring, she raised her hands and conjured a ball of light which she threw on the ground between her and the men; the effect as it hit the street was similar to that of a flash grenade. As soon as she had let go she turned and ran away as fast as she could, which, given the practise she had at it, was quite fast; she could hear them behind her, cursing and shouting after her, but she ignored it and focused on escaping.

 

    She turned a corner and just barely dodged some baskets on the floor, but in her haste to evade them ran straight into someone else, her momentum sending her backwards to the floor. Looking up, Willow faced a rather large, brow haired woman who looked at her with concern colouring her features.

 

    “Oh, dear; are you alright?” The woman asked as she offered a hand to help Willow up. She looked her over and recognition dawned on her face. “I know of you; you are Willow, are you not? Loki’s d-... guest?” She corrected herself hastily, not that Willow noticed in her current state.

 

    “How did you know?” Willow asked as she looked around nervously.

 

    “My husband, Volstagg, has mentioned you. I am Hildegund,” The woman introduced herself. “What is the matter?”

 

    Willow was about to reply when she spotted the men she ran from, clearly none-too-pleased and heading straight for her. Hildegund frowned and grabbed Willow’s arm, pulling the girl behind her as the warriors walked up to them.

 

    “Hildegund,” Erling greeted. “This does not concern you; our business is with Loki’s little _whore.”_

 

    “I make it my concern. You should be ashamed of yourselves; bullying a _child,”_ Hildegund snapped, squaring her shoulders and glaring at them. “Off with you all, or my husband will hear of this.”

 

    The men glared for a moment then turned and walked away, knowing better than to risk it. As soon as they were far enough away Willow let out a breath of relief, nearly collapsing onto her knees if not for Hildegund’s steadying hands.

 

    “Thank you so much,” Willow managed to say after a moment.

 

    “It’s alright,” Hildegund soothed, drawing Willow into a comforting hug. “Now come; you can rest in my home while you tell me what exactly you are doing so far from the palace all by yourself.”

 

****

 

    Loki was worried. That much was obvious, which spoke to just how worried the usually reserved Trickster actually was. But he hadn’t seen Willow in hours and when Thor dropped by he told him he hadn’t seen her at all that day, after which Loki tried scrying for her and found he couldn’t find her. Thor suggested she might be with Odin as an explanation and offered to check. When he returned with news that their father hadn’t seen her all day either he figured his brother would not take it well, and was not disappointed. Loki immediately stormed out of his chambers, unheeding of Thor’s warning that he technically wasn’t allowed to yet, and headed straight for the council room where the king was.

 

    Odin didn’t seem particularly surprised when Loki burst into the room without announcement with Thor trailing behind; he figured it might happen after being questioned about Willow’s whereabouts. He _was_ mildly surprised by the openly worried expression on his youngest’s face, though; Loki hardly ever let his true feelings show, after all.

 

    “Have the centuries of lessons in etiquette been lost on you both, that you would not even bother to knock?” Odin asked conversationally as he waved the others present in the room away.

 

    “I did _try_ to stop him,” Thor was quick to say, raising his hands and showing his father the frostbite Loki had given him when he’d tried to stop him by force.

 

    “I see,” Odin replied before turning to Loki. “I assume this is about Willow,” He more stated that asked.

 

    “She’s not in the palace anymore; I can feel it. I need to find her,” Loki spoke quickly.

 

    “You were not to leave your chambers,” Odin reminded.

 

    “Well, then send me back to the dungeons if you want, just let me find her first,” Loki practically pleaded.

 

    Odin raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

 

    _“What?”_ Loki asked, looking at him as though he’d gone mad.

 

    “Why should I allow this?” Odin asked simply.

 

    “She... she could be anywhere. She could be hurt!” Loki exclaimed.

 

    “Why is this so important to you?” Odin pressed.

 

    “Because I love her!” Loki yelled, taking both of them aback. “I need her, and the thought of not having her in my life is worse than any form of torture. Is that what you want to hear??” Loki began to pace. “That when I look at her smile, I see Vali and Narfi? That when I think of what she has endured, I see Hela and Fenrir and Jörmungandr? I need her to be safe. I can’t lose her.” He paused and looked at Odin dolefully. “I can’t lose another child.”

 

    Not a moment later, two ravens flew into the room and perched on Odin’s shoulders; after a bit, he nodded once then turned back to Loki. “I sent out Huginn and Muninn when Thor came here earlier; she is safe, on her way back with Volstagg.”

 

    Loki let out the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding and his shoulders slumped slightly in relief. “Good,” He managed, “Good.”

 

    “If you leave now, you could just meet her at the doors,” Odin commented mildly.

 

    Loki blinked at him in surprise then turned and left, a still somewhat stunned Thor following after him. Odin huffed a slight laugh and shook his head; he could almost hear Frigga commenting on how stubborn they all were when it came to admitting their feelings.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

    Loki hadn’t quite made it to the front doors of the palace before Willow and Volstagg got there, but when he did meet them he all but ran to Willow, who _did_ break into a sprint and met him halfway, and pulled her into an almost crushing hug. Willow didn’t mind the depletion of oxygen; she was just happy to be back. When he stepped back Loki seemed to suddenly realise there were other people present; he took hold of Willow’s hand and practically dragged her back to his chambers in silence, face completely blank, and once there he spoke only to ask Willow what had happened.

 

    After she’d explained things he stood before the fireplace with his back to her in silence for a long while. Long enough to make her a little nervous. “Loki?” Willow asked hesitantly.

 

    “Did it not occur to you that I hadn’t taught you spells like that one for a reason?” Loki finally spoke, his voice eerily calm. “Teleportation is highly advanced, highly _dangerous_ magick. Even _I_ haven’t fully mastered it.” He turned around and faced her with a stern expression. “When I agreed to teach you, I made it very clear that there were _rules._ Among them that _I_ would decide what was safe for you to learn. _Safe,_ Willow; do you understand what that means?”

 

    Willow looked down guiltily and Loki walked over to her, hands clasped behind his back.

 

    “Now how, in all the Nine and beyond, could it occur to you to _ignore_ my _every warning_ and do something so incredibly _stupid?”_ Loki snapped and Willow flinched at his tone. “You could have gotten yourself killed; are you aware of that? Worse, even. What were you thinking?” He continued, concern softening his voice some.

 

    “I’m sorry. Loki; I’m so sorry,” Willow managed in a choked voice looking up at him with tearful eyes.

 

    At that all the anger fled Loki and he took Willow’s face in his hands and kissed the top of her head before wrapping her in his arms. “I know you are, lítið einn. I know,” He murmured. “Just don’t... don’t ever do something like this again. I know what I’m doing; trust me to decide what you attempt when.”

 

    “I will,” Willow promised, returning the hug tightly.

 

    “You scared me half to death, just so you know,” Loki added with a slight somewhat forced laugh.

 

    “Sorry.”

 

    “I know,” He ran his fingers through her hair, pressing another kiss to her head. “You have no idea what you’ve done to me, pet,” He said almost absently.

 

    Willow turned her head up to look at him somewhat confusedly. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

 

    “When I think about you in danger, my heart stops and a dread I have not felt in centuries overcomes me. You have no idea how important you are to me, Willow,” Loki admitted, earning a somewhat stunned blink. “It would kill me inside to lose you. You’re all I have left.”

 

    “Am I?” Willow asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Am I really?”

 

    Loki opened his mouth to argue then sighed. “Well, very nearly,” He conceded.

 

    “Better.”

 

    Loki rolled his eyes. “Why are you so very insistent?”

 

    “Because,” Willow replied with a shrug. “My parents don’t give a damn about me; never have,” She continued simply and Loki’s eye twitched slightly at how matter-of-fact she was about it, “But your family _does_ care. They may seriously _suck_ at showing it most times, but they care. I just don’t think you should throw that away.”

 

    “Now you sound like mother,” Loki scoffed, letting go of her and stepping back.

 

    “Has it occurred to you that _maybe_ she knew what she was talking about?” Willow teased, poking his ribs, to which he retaliated by pushing her head.

 

    “I’ll make an effort. But I am not a very forgiving person, and there is a lot to forgive,” Loki said at length then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to the direction of her bedchambers. “You need a bath; you’re covered in dirt.”

 

    Willow scoffed indignantly. “You didn’t seem to care ten minutes ago.”

 

    “I was a little preoccupied making sure you were in one piece,” Loki replied simply. He looked down at her again and paused, frowning slightly. “Is that one of my shirts?”

 

    Willow looked up at him like a deer caught in headlights. “Define ‘yours’...”

 

    Loki closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. “Just... go bathe,” He said at length, pushing her forward gently.

 

****

 

    Thor knocked on the door to the antechamber of Loki’s hall before walking in, only to find Loki apparently waiting for him on one of the couches. He opened his mouth to ask how Willow was doing but his brother clearly had other things on his mind.

 

    “What does Odin intend to do about Erling and his thralls?” Loki demanded to know.

 

    “They aren’t his...” Thor began then thought better of it and walked up to the couch but didn’t sit down; he had a feeling he would soon wear out his tentative welcome. “From what Volstagg told me, Willow was unharmed, wasn’t she?”

 

    Loki’s mouth formed a flat line and Thor mentally braced himself for an outburst. “So, nothing then?” Loki’s voice was calm, which only worried Thor more.

 

    “I didn’t say that.”

 

    “What, then? A stern warning?” Loki asked mockingly. “After all there was no harm done.”

 

    “Loki, I only meant that it’s not so simple a matter,” Thor tried to explain, once again wishing his father would deliver his own messages for a change.

 

    “It’s simple enough to _me_.”

 

    “It is not,” Thor insisted. “They may have chased her halfway across the market, but there is no way to prove what intentions Erling and his th-,” He stopped just short from using Loki’s own words, causing a corner of the latter’s lips to twitch upwards for a second, “His _friends_ actually had.”

 

    “Give me three minutes,” Loki suggested almost conversationally with a vicious glint in his eyes.

 

    “If it were up to me...” Thor half-muttered. He looked over to the door leading to Willow’s bedchamber. “How is she?”

 

    “Almost as though nothing at all happened,” Loki replied, following his brother’s gaze. “This is far from the first time she’s been in danger; she’s not one to dwell. She’s actually more upset about breaking my rules.”

 

    “I take it you had some words to say about it?”

 

    Loki frowned. “I may have been overly harsh.”

 

    Thor looked back at Loki with a raised eyebrow. “You’re worried about being too harsh? _You?_ I have truly heard it all now,” He teased, earning a glare that he laughed at. “If you were too harsh, I’m sure she’ll understand that you were merely worried.”

 

    Loki shook his head. “That’s not the point.”

 

    “What is then?”

 

    Loki hesitated for a moment then glanced back at Willow’s door before sitting forward and resting his forearms on his knees. “You’ve never met her parents. They don’t care about her; worse, they see her as a burden, a disturbance. The way they treat her...”

 

    “You are not them, brother; she knows that,” Thor said, moving to sit next to Loki. “It is obvious she loves you. You are the first person she goes to for help or comfort, she is clearly happiest around you.”

 

    Loki thought Thor’s words over for a while then started chuckling quietly, looking down. Thor looked at him curiously, wondering what he could have said that was so amusing. He was about to ask when quite suddenly Loki sat up, turned to him and _hugged_ him. Thor sat there stunned for a few moments before tentatively returning the hug; when they parted Loki was grinning.

 

    “What was _that_ for?” Thor asked, both glad and baffled at once.

 

    “You’re an idiot,” Loki replied gladly. Thor opened his mouth to protest but Loki cut him off, “But you’re _my_ idiot.”

 

    Thor blinked in shock. “I... am?” He asked hesitantly.

 

    “We’ve done so much to each other... But you’ve never stopped being it,” Loki admitted honestly, looking down at his hands. “I wanted to stop caring. For so long, I tried; I thought it was better that way.” He looked back up at Thor with an openness to his expression the Thunderer had not seen in a very long time. “I can’t do it. I will never stop loving you, brother; even when I hate you.”

 

    For a while Thor was silent, not quite believing what he’d just heard, but then he found his voice again. “I am sorry, Loki, for every hurt I caused you in my carelessness. I remember well how you looked up to me when we were children, and I am sorry I pushed you away. It does not excuse the things you have done, but I understand them.” He placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder and looked his brother straight in the eyes. “I will try to be a better brother, if you will let me.”

 

    Loki returned the gesture. “I suppose I could try to be less difficult; so that you can keep up, of course,” He replied with smirk. Thor rolled his eyes and shoved him away with a scoff, causing Loki to laugh.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

    The next morning Willow woke up practically smothered by her own hair, as usual, and after a good ten minutes of trying to get it to behave she gave up and simply tied it back in a messy tail before getting dressed and leaving the room to join Loki for breakfast. She wasn’t quite expecting Thor to be there, though, much less to be having what appeared to be a friendly discussion with Loki, and looked between them curiously as she walked to the table.

 

    “Okay; what’d I miss?” She asked as she sat down in her usual seat, Thor moving a bit to make more room for her.

 

    “I’ve decided to set an example and actually _follow_ good advice,” Loki said casually as he handed her the plate he’d already prepared for her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

 

    “I already said I was sorry; what more do you want?” Willow huffed, stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth.

 

    “Just because I’ve forgiven you doesn’t mean I’ll stop teasing, Willow,” Loki replied with a grin.

 

    “Remind me why I like you again?” Willow asked mock-seriously through her mouthful, narrowing her eyes at him.

 

    “I feed you,” Loki replied with a careless shrug, not even bothering trying to correct her manners this time.

 

    Willow nearly choked on her food as she lost her composure and started to giggle. “Fair enough,” She said after swallowing. She looked between Loki and Thor again, eyebrow arched curiously. “Sooo...?” She began, leaving either of them to fill in the blank.

 

    “We’re working on it,” Thor replied and Loki nodded.

 

    “Ah,” Willow said then turned back to her food. “Good.”

 

****

 

    Thor had to admit, he was impressed. He’d decided to sit in on Willow’s first lesson of the day after breakfast, and had been treated to both the level of skill the girl had honed by now, as well as Loki’s abilities as a teacher; he was a bit struck by how much his brother reminded him of their mother in the way he instructed, but in hindsight, it really wasn’t that surprising.

 

    Willow hadn’t quite expected she’d be learning more basic conjuration spells any time soon given the previous day’s incident, but Loki simply said that ‘if she insisted on wielding that kind of magick, she may as well do it right’ in explanation.

 

    She certainly wasn’t about to complain.

 

    The more she worked at summoning various objects from the room to her, the more she began to realise where she’d gone wrong before. Loki was right; teleportation was _hard._ Out of every six objects she called to, only two or three actually made it to her hand; the rest ended up falling around her or, in the case of Mjolnir (which had not actually been her target, not that she would admit it), halfway through the floor.

 

    “How did you even... _reach_ that?” Loki asked as he and Thor looked between the hammer and her somewhere between surprised, impressed and concerned.

 

    “That... was nowhere _near_ these chambers...” Thor added, standing from the couch he’d been on and walking towards the hammer.

 

    “I dunno,” Willow replied sheepishly with a sloppy shrug, avoiding their gazes in favour of staring at her shoes.

 

    “I think that’s enough conjuring for one day,” Loki said, moving to stand next to Thor before addressing them both, “It would be best to keep this between ourselves for the moment, for all our sakes.”

 

    “Agreed,” Thor replied somewhat grimly, understanding his concern completely. “Although...” He began with a slight frown, looking from Loki to Willow. “How exactly am I meant to retrieve her without destroying the floor?” He asked amusedly, gesturing to the hammer.

 

    Willow opened her mouth, before realising she didn’t actually have an answer, and looked to Loki, who sighed in annoyance. “You don’t,” He replied bluntly. “Just... get it over with,” He added reluctantly before turning to Willow with slightly narrowed eyes. “And _you_... you’re grounded.”

 

    Willow gaped at him for a moment before she found her words. “You... you can’t _ground me!”_ She cried out indignantly.

 

    “I rather believe I just _did,”_ Loki replied, as though he’d just had an epiphany. “Wouldn’t you say so, brother?” He added, looking at Thor, who was trying _very_ hard _not_ to laugh.

 

    “It certainly sounded like it.” Thor agreed, nodding slowly.

 

    “So I did,” Loki concluded, turning back to Willow and looking at her expectantly.

 

    Willow stammered for a few moments then pouted, turned towards her bedchamber door, and stormed into the room with a huff, thoroughly bemused and indignant. After the door was closed behind her, Thor chuckled, careful to keep the sound to a minimum.

 

    “She couldn’t be more like you if she shared your blood,” He commented lightly, eyeing Loki with a grin.

 

    “Oh, hush.”

 

****

 

    When lunchtime came around Loki walked into Willow’s bedchamber to find her lying on the bed she’d claimed, eyes closed and her headphones in, the faint sound of the music she was listening to drifting across the room. He sat down next to her and plucked one of the earbuds, curious, and placed it in his own ear; the sounds of a piano and a woman’s voice singing in what took him a moment to recognise as Spanish flowed through, and after listening for a while he decided he rather liked it.

 

    When the song was over Willow turned her music player off and set it down beside her. “Are you mad at me?” She asked after a moment.

 

    “No, lítið einn,” Loki assured her, brushing some of her hair out of her face, “I _was_ a bit annoyed, but not angry.”

 

    “Sorry about the floor.”

 

    “We need to work on your aim,” He quipped with a crooked smile.

 

    “I thought I did pretty good all things considered,” Willow retorted with a smile of her own as she sat up.

 

    Loki huffed a laugh. “Certainly better than the first time Thor summoned the bloody thing, I’ll admit.”

 

    “Do I want to know?”

 

    “Ask _him._ Though do let me know before you do; I’d love to see the look on his face,” Loki replied with a smirk.

 

    “You are a terrible influence,” Willow laughed, poking his side.

 

    “Most certainly,” Loki readily agreed, “But I never claimed otherwise, did I?” He stood and offered her his hand. “Time for lunch,” He informed, pulling her up and out of bed before leading the way out of the room.

 

    After they had eaten Loki was quizzing Willow on her knowledge of the runes, when a servant came to inform them that Odin wished to speak with Loki, prompting an annoyed sigh from the Trickster and a worried look from her. Reluctantly Loki stood and made his way to the king’s study in no particular hurry, wondering what he’d have to give up to keep Willow safe.

 

    When he walked into the room, he barely gave Odin the chance to open his mouth before speaking. “I have no idea how she reached that far,” He said in an almost bored tone, “But it won’t happen again.”

 

    Odin arched an eyebrow. “I think we both know that it very likely will,” He said simply, “But that is not what I wanted to speak to you about.”

 

    “What do you want, then?” Loki asked, his tone not _quite_ disrespectful, but certainly not polite.

 

    Odin sighed almost inaudibly. “There has been an incident on Midgard, involving Willow’s mother; she nearly died.”

 

    Loki blinked slowly. “And?” He asked uncaringly.

 

    “She needs to be told.”

 

    “Then tell her.”

 

    “No. She is your responsibility; I leave it to you.”

 

    Loki considered the response for a moment. “Is that all?” He asked, eager to leave, though he didn’t show it much.

 

    “I don’t intend to let Erling and his walk free of punishment, you know,” Odin commented almost casually.

 

    “Good.”

 

    “Do you not wish to know what will become of them?”

 

    “I assume you won’t be letting _me_ deal with them?”

 

    “No.”

 

    “Then I don’t care.”

 

    Odin hummed slightly in response but said nothing for a moment. “You and Thor seem on better terms,” He commented, clearly expecting Loki to elaborate further.

 

    “There’s little reason not to be,” Loki replied offhandedly, “There wasn’t much between us, and what there was, was mostly _your_ fault, so...”

 

    Odin sighed. “I am aware of my mistakes concerning you both, Loki,” He said tiredly, “I have been _trying_ to fix them.”

 

    _“Clearly,”_ Loki interrupted, voice dripping with icy sarcasm.

 

    “Dammit, boy; you do not make this easy!” Odin snapped, standing up abruptly.

 

    Loki leaned forward some, narrowing his eyes at his father, a twisted smile curling his lips. _“Good,”_ He replied venomously then turned and left the room.

 

    Odin sighed again and sat down heavily, looking towards a portrait of Frigga hung upon the wall. “Would that you could tell me what to do with him; you understood him best,” He said ruefully, “He always _was_ yours more than mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Willow and Loki were listening to was Stream Of Passion's 'Nadie Lo Ve'.
> 
> Wonder if any of you noticed what I did there at the end...


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so, _SO SORRY_ about the delay in updates for this story; I have had the worst block. So sorry.

    A week after the ‘hammer in the floor’ incident Loki sat on one of the beds in Willow’s bedchamber, waiting for her to finish her bath; he had come to a decision and hoped that she wouldn’t be _too_ upset about it. As soon Willow walked into the room, still pulling a purple long-sleeved sweater the rest of the way over her stomach, she could tell something was a bit off.

 

    “Okay; why do you look like I’m about to be pissed at you?” She asked half-jokingly.

 

    “I have news.”

 

    “Care to elaborate?”

 

    “Your mother was in an accident.”

 

    “What??” Willow cried in alarm, moving closer to him, “When?”

 

    Loki hesitated for a moment then sighed. “Last week; she’s still in the hospital.”

 

    Willow blinked. “Last... _last week?”_ She asked then narrowed her eyes at him, “How long have you known?”

 

    “... A week,” Loki replied, mentally bracing himself for her response.

 

    For a few moments Willow looked at him blankly, and then a slew of emotions crossed her features, from disbelief to anger, and even betrayal. “ _A week?_ So you’ve known since it happened, and you’re only just _now_ telling me??” She practically yelled. His expression was answer enough, and she threw her hands up frustratedly. “What the _fuck,_ Loki! What is _wrong_ with you?!”

 

    “Well, forgive me for not wanting to add to your stress,” Loki retorted a bit sharply.

 

    “Bullshit; that’s not why!”

 

    “What would have been the point? It’s not as though you could do anything about it!”

 

    “I could _BE there!”_

 

    _“Why?”_ Loki yelled, standing up, “What has she ever done for you? What have _any of them_ ever done for you?”

 

    “That’s not the point! They’re my _parents!”_

 

    “No, they are _not!!_ Parents _care._ They don’t give a damn about you; they never have and they never will!”

 

    The moment the words left his mouth, Loki regretted them. He knew it was the truth, they both did, but he also knew some things are better left unsaid. Willow looked at him in disbelief and hurt then turned and ran out of the room before he could say anything more. He wanted to go after her, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it; instead he did something he didn’t think he ever would again: He conjured a small grey stone into his palm and held it out towards the window, where Munnin had perched after Willow had left. The raven flew into the room, snatched the stone from him then flew back out to deliver the message, leaving Loki to sit and wait.

 

****

 

    Willow sat curled up on a bench in the library, fighting conflicting feelings and wants. On one hand she wanted to be angry at Loki for not telling her about her mother’s accident sooner, but on the other hand she knew he was right; there wasn’t anything she could do except be there for her, and she rather doubted it would be welcome. Still, even if her parents didn’t care about her, she felt like she owed them _something;_ they were still her parents, after all.

 

    But _were_ they, though?

 

    “Parents care,” She whispered to herself.

 

    “They certainly do,” Sif’s voice startled her and she looked up with a jolt. The warrior held her hands up. “Sorry; it wasn’t my intent to startle you,” She offered apologetically.

 

    “That’s okay.”

 

    “Did something happen? You seem distraught.”

 

    Willow didn’t reply for a moment, wondering if she should; she and Sif weren’t exactly friends, after all. “... I just found out my mom had an accident last week,” She began, uncurling herself and sitting up straight while Sif sat down next to her, “And Loki didn’t tell me ’til now.”

 

    “I’m sorry to hear that,” Sif offered sympathetically.

 

    “I’m not so sure _I_ am...”

 

    “You’re not close, I take it?”

 

    Willow huffed a humourless laugh. “The last time I saw her; she slapped me and basically called me useless.”

 

    “... I see.”

 

    “I don’t love them,” Willow said almost guiltily, “How could I? All they’ve ever done is make me miserable for having the audacity to exist.” She sighed heavily. “But I can’t help being mad at Loki. I mean; how could he just not tell me?”

 

    “Easy,” Sif scoffed, “Because he’s selfish. Telling you would mean letting you return to Midgard, and he can’t leave the palace.” She sighed, leaning back into the seat. “Although, in light of recent events, I suppose it’s not exactly unreasonable for him to wish to keep you close, least of all if your parents are truly that bad.”

 

    “Which is why I _can’t_ be mad at him; ’cause I _get_ his point of view, even I don’t fully agree with it.”

 

    “It’s not easy, caring for another,” Sif said, shaking her head. She thought for a moment then turned to face Willow fully. “If you feel you must return to Midgard, perhaps you should speak to the Allfather, ask him to allow Loki to accompany you.”

 

    Willow considered the suggestion carefully. “You know, I think I’ll do that,” She decided then narrowed her eyes at Sif slightly. “Why are you helping? You don’t even _like_ Loki,” She asked suspiciously.

 

    “No, I don’t,” Sif agreed readily, “But I _do_ like _you_ ; and I’m not entirely above admitting when I am wrong about something.”

 

    “What do you mean?”

 

    “I mean I’ve come to realise Loki _does_ care for you, as strange as that is to accept.”

 

    “Tell me about it,” Willow said with a snort.

 

    With that Willow stood, thanked Sif for the advice, and began to make her way back to Loki’s hall; if she was going to ask Odin to let him go with her, she wanted to tell him about it first.

 

****

 

    Odin walked into Loki’s hall and across to Willow’s bedchambers, the grey stone still in his hand. He had been a bit surprised at the message; it had been several centuries since he had received it and he was beginning to think he never would again. Loki didn’t look up at him as he walked into the room, his attention was focused on Willow’s music player that he held in his hands.

 

    “I had hoped,” Odin began, sitting down on the bed across from Willow’s, “That you would not make the same mistake I did.”

 

    “But you’re not exactly surprised.”

 

    “No, I am not.”

 

    “It’s a delicious bit of irony, isn’t it,” Loki began somewhat bitterly as he looked up at Odin, “How alike we have turned out to be in this regard?”

 

    “I am not pleased by this, Loki,” Odin replied with a slight sigh, “Whatever you may think; your failures do not amuse me.”

 

    For a moment it looked as though Loki might disagree, but then he looked down at the device in his hands. “I fear I’ve lost her,” He said softly at length.

 

    “I rather doubt that,” Odin replied simply, “I have seen your bond and it is not one that breaks easily; it reminds me so very much of the one between you and Frigga.”

 

    “Mother never kept a parent’s near-fatal accident from me then resorted to point out said parent doesn’t give a damn once the omission was discovered,” Loki retorted sharply, looking back up.

 

    “But she did go along with my decision to keep your true origins from you, despite how she strongly disagreed with it,” Odin countered, “And did you love her any less for it?”

 

    “I never forgave her,” Loki replied, “Not for that.”

 

    “But did you love her less?” Odin repeated, and Loki looked away without replying, “And neither will Willow.”

 

    “Why did you do it?” Loki asked after a moment, looking back at Odin with a hint of desperation in his expression, “If your plan was to use me upon Jötunheim’s throne to forge peace; why did you wait to tell me the truth until you had no other choice? And don’t say it was to ‘protect me’, because you have done a piss poor job of that.”

 

    Odin was silent for a moment. “You’re right; it was not to protect you. It was to protect myself,” He replied finally, “I had intended to tell you and Thor the truth when you were old enough to understand; I simply didn’t think I would grow to love you as much as I did.” He sighed heavily. “I know I have not been as good a father as I should have been, but the simple truth is that I don’t understand you; that was always your mother’s gift. But I did care, and I still do; and the reality is that the older you became, the more I dreaded telling you the truth because I feared losing you for good.”

 

    There was silence for a long time after as Loki processed everything he had just been told. He hadn’t actually expected an answer to his question when he spoke it. He wasn’t entirely sure why he _had_ spoken it. “Well, the Norns have a twisted sense of humour,” He said at last with a wry grin, “Haven’t they, father?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it; I hope this makes up for the wait in some way. I wish I could say the next chapter won't take so long, but I honestly don't know.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay; new chapter! I'm not gonna jinx it by getting _too_ excited, though. XD

    When Willow got back to her chambers she was surprised to see Odin there and immediately became worried that her argument with Loki had gotten him in trouble, but while it was clear that neither of them was particularly pleased, there didn’t seem to be any anger in the air either. She looked between them for a moment, noting how Loki seemed torn between facing her and avoiding her gaze, and then walked over to her bed and sat down next to Loki.

 

    There was a heavy silence for a while then Odin cleared his throat slightly, looking at Willow. “Do you wish to return to Midgard and see your mother?” He asked.

 

    “Not really,” Willow replied honestly, frowning slightly, “But I think I have to. I just... I need to know...”

 

    Odin nodded in understanding then stood. “You may go, whenever you are ready,” He said, turning to leave.

 

    “Can...” Willow began then looked at Loki for a moment before turning back to Odin, “Can Loki come with me?”

 

    Loki looked at Willow then, a bit surprised, and Odin looked at them over his shoulder, the barest hint of a smile upturning a corner of his lips. “I meant the both of you,” The king clarified before leaving the room.

 

    Neither of them spoke for a while, not really sure where to start. Willow stood from the bed and went over to the corner of the room she kept her shoes, slipping on a pair of black riding boots; she’d gotten them a week before along with a comfortable outfit after asking Thor to teach her how to ride, but they had yet to get around to it. She then walked to her bedside table and picked up her sunglasses, hooking them onto the collar of her sweater. She looked at her shoes for a moment, biting her bottom lip. Finally, she walked over to Loki, who had spent that entire time toying with her music player, and practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders tightly. After a moment he returned the hug, a tad warily.

 

    “I’m sorry,” Loki murmured into Willow’s hair, “I shouldn’t have kept the truth from you; I of all people know how that feels.”

 

    “It’s okay; I understand,” Willow murmured back, “I don’t agree with it, and I’m still a little pissed, but I understand.” She stepped back and sat down next to him, looking up into his eyes seriously. “But the thing is; you were wrong to worry,” She added, “Loki, I get it; you’re afraid to lose me. I don’t want to lose you either. But it doesn’t matter if we’re a whole _universe_ apart; you’ll still be the first person who ever cared about me. And just like I know you’ll always be there for me, you have to trust that I’m not going anywhere, not where it counts.” She leaned against his side and grinned. “You’re stuck with me.”

 

    Loki huffed a slight laugh then turned and hugged her again, kissing the top of her head. “Remind me,” He said after a moment, “Which one of us is the adult here?”

 

    Willow laughed, pulling away and standing. “I guess that depends on who you ask,” She replied.

 

****

 

    It didn’t take very long to reach the hospital Willow’s mother was in after they arrived on Midgard, but once at the door Willow hesitated to go in; part of her didn’t want to see her mother injured, while the rest just didn’t want to see her at all. She also didn’t want to risk her father being there too; between the two of them her father had always been less harsh, often just ignoring her completely, but that didn’t mean she liked being around him.

 

    Loki took Willow’s hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We don’t have to be here long, lítið einn,” She said softly, “And I’m right here; it will be alright.”

 

    Willow took a steadying breath then nodded to herself and walked into the building, heading toward the front desk. “Hi,” She addressed the nearest receptionist, who looked up at her with a somewhat tired smile, “I’m here to see Julianne Stranton.”

 

    “Are you a relative?” The receptionist asked, beginning to check on her computer for the room number.

 

    “I’m her daughter,” Willow replied.

 

    “Alright then,” The receptionist said then proceeded to direct Willow to the right room, receiving a faint thanks before she began walking away. “I hope she gets better soon!” She called after Willow.

 

    When they reached the room Willow took another deep breath before going in, freezing at the sight that met her; her mother was currently asleep and there were minor cuts and several bruises on her face and arms, one of which was covered in a cast, and she had a neck brace on. It’d been a car accident, Loki had told her; she had been driving home when the other driver ran a stop sign and crashed into her from the passenger’s side. Willow took a few steps closer, slipping her sunglasses off and hooking them on her sweater, the steady beeping of the heart monitor filling the room.

 

    She stood by the bed, covering her mother’s cast-less hand with hers lightly; the same hand she’d slapped her with when she was home last, she noticed absently. Loki stood a few steps away from the foot of the bed, watching the conflict on Willow’s face, when her attention was drawn to the door as someone walked in. Willow heard the footsteps and turned around to face her father, who seemed surprised to find them there.

 

    It didn’t take long for the surprise to turn into anger as he took a few steps forward. “Where the fuck have you been?” He snapped, trying to keep his voice down so as to not wake his wife, “Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve caused, leaving me to explain your sudden disappearance?”

 

    “I’m sorry,” Willow replied purely on instinct, flinching back.

 

    “‘Sorry’? That’s all you have to say, you little...” He began, going towards her with a hand raised.

 

    He never got to finish that sentence before Loki was standing between him and Willow, having caught his wrist in a grip nearly tight enough to break it, emerald eyes livid. Willow’s father let out a yelp of pain and looked at Loki in shock, trying to pull his wrist free of her grip to no avail.

 

    “Now you listen to me well, you pathetic swine,” Loki began lowly, her tone chilling Willow’s father to the core, “If you _ever_ lay another hand on Willow; I will _end you._ Slowly, and painfully. Am I understood?” Willow’s father tried again to pull his wrist back and she tightened her grip, on the very brink of snapping the bone. _“Am I understood?”_ She repeated pointedly.

 

    “Yes! Yes; now let me go!” Willow’s father practically whimpered.

 

    Loki held on a moment longer then let go. “Good,” She said icily, “Now _leave.”_

 

    “What?!” Willow’s father asked in shock, forgetting to keep his voice down.

 

    “She’s not here to see _you,”_ Loki replied then nodded towards the door, “Leave before I _make_ you.”

 

    Willow’s father looked between her and Willow then turned and walked out of the room again quickly, suddenly very, _very_ afraid of the company his daughter kept. Once he was gone, Willow turned back to her mother to find her waking up.

 

    “Mom?” Willow called softly.

 

    Julianne turned her face to Willow then began to say something before clearing her dry throat slightly. Willow looked around until she noticed a jug of water on a nearby table and went over to it, filling a glass and taking it back to her mother, helping her take a few sips. “What are you doing here?” Julianne said almost tonelessly, “I thought you’d finally left for good.”

 

    Willow bit her bottom lip, looking down. “Would that make you happy?” She asked, barely above a whisper.

 

    “It’d be sixteen years too late,” Julianne replied with a humourless huff of a laugh, “But it’d be something.”

 

    Willow shut her eyes tightly, willing the tears that threatened away. “I’m s-... I’m sorry,” She said shakily before looking up at her mother spitefully. “I didn’t _ask_ to be _born._ I didn’t _ask_ to be a _freak.”_ Her hands balled into fists and her voice rose. “I didn’t _ask_ to be yelled at, and pushed around, and _abused_ just because I’m not what you wanted! But you know what? I’m _not_ sorry for being me, because I’ve realised I _mean something._ I’m _worth_ something. And I’m sorry your lives _suck_ , but that is _not_ my fault!”

 

    With that Willow turned and left the room, and Loki levelled a disgusted glare at Julianne that sent a shiver through the woman before following after her.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

    After leaving the hospital, Willow had asked Loki to take her to her parents’ house so she could pack her things, fully intending on leaving for good. Even if she hadn’t, Loki would’ve done so; she wasn’t letting her go back there again after her stay in Asgard was over, no matter what. In fact, if she had her way, Willow wouldn’t leave Asgard at all. Loki was fully prepared to keep visiting her, whatever had to be done to accomplish that, but she couldn’t deny that after the past few weeks that simply wouldn’t feel like enough.

 

    Willow didn’t really have much she wanted to take with her; most of her belongings that meant anything to her had slowly made their way to Loki’s house in the months they’d known each other. She stuffed the rest of her clothes into a pair of suitcases, along with her books and the tools she had collected since she’d begun practising magick, and then carefully dismantled the small altar she kept in a corner of the room and packed it away in another bag. She took down the posters on her walls and tucked them in between her books then stood in the middle of the room and looked around, making sure she got everything. With a satisfied nod, she grabbed the bag and walked out, Loki following her carrying the suitcases.

 

****

 

    Once she had unpacked her things in Loki’s house, Willow sat on the bed staring at the wall, Loki leaning against the doorway watching her in concern; she hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived and he was getting worried. He couldn’t exactly blame her for being upset; her parents’ words and actions had been painful, even if she had long since known they didn’t love her. He’d been surprised by her last words to her mother. He had hoped, of course, that he’d managed to teach her that she wasn’t as bad as they made her out to be and did in no way deserve the treatment they gave her, but it warmed his heart to know he had succeeded.

 

    Loki walked into the room and sat beside her, brushing her bangs out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. “What are you thinking, ástin mín?” He asked gently.

 

    “You were right,” Willow replied.

 

    “About?”

 

    “They’re not my parents; we’re just related.”

 

    “Willow...” Loki began with a sigh, “I shouldn’t have said that; it was cruel.”

 

    “It was true.”

 

    “Be that as it may; I shouldn’t have said it.”

 

    “No; I’m _glad_ you did,” Willow said, looking up at him, “If you hadn’t, then I might not have accepted it. They’re _not_ my family; _you_ are.”

 

    Loki was silent for a moment then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m glad you think so,” He said, “Because I can’t imagine being anything less.”

 

    They probably should have gone back to Asgard before anyone (most likely Thor) came looking; instead Loki took Willow out for ice-cream then they shopped for all Willow’s favourite snacks before returning to Loki’s house, where they constructed a fort out of the couch cushions and sheets and binge-watched horror movies for the rest of the day. When Willow finally fell asleep around two in the morning; Loki took her to bed and retreated to his own room, thinking. After a while he made a decision then sat up in his bed and conjured his laptop from Asgard; he spent the next few hours gathering all the information he needed.

 

****

 

    It was almost afternoon by the time Willow awoke and she went into the kitchen after a quick shower to find Loki already up - not actually having slept - and waiting for her. They had a late breakfast of coconut cream pie, which she had regarded suspiciously since Loki spent so much time trying to curb her unhealthy eating habits, and then left the house and went to the field where they called for Heimdall.

 

    Once they were back in Asgard Willow smiled slightly at Heimdall, who nodded back at her, and then they left the observatory and headed back to the palace. There, they ran into Thor and the Warriors Three, and Loki excused himself and went off somewhere, though he wouldn’t say where.

 

    “We heard what happened with your mother,” Fandral said, “Is everything well?”

 

    “She’s not my mother,” Willow replied neutrally, “And I’m sure she’ll be fine; it wasn’t that bad.”

 

    “I’m sorry, Willow,” Thor offered sympathetically, having a pretty good idea of what might have happened from what Loki had told him of her parents.

 

    “I had to wake up someday,” Willow replied with a shrug, “They’re never going to change. I can’t keep letting them ruin my life because they’re bitter about theirs.”

 

    “Wise words for one so young,” Volstagg commented, “And it’s not as though you are alone.”

 

    “No,” Willow said with a smile, “No; I’m not.”

 

****

 

    Loki made his way into Frigga’s garden, having followed Huginn there, and allowed himself a moment to enjoy the sights and the memories they inspired before making his way to where Odin stood. Huginn flew to a nearby bench where Muninn was perched and the two began cawing at each other, apparently having a conversation.

 

    Loki stood next to Odin in silence for a while; the words he had prepared abandoning him for the moment. “I still hate you,” He said at length.

 

    “I did not expect that to disappear overnight,” Odin replied simply, “That is not how your mind works.”

 

    “I will never forgive you for keeping the truth from me; you know that.”

 

    “Some things cannot be forgiven, if we wish to or not. Simply know that I regret my decision.”

 

    Loki was silent again for a long while before he remembered he was there for a reason. “Willow has moved out of her old home; I assume you know this,” He more stated than asked.

 

    “I am aware, yes,” Odin replied, “You intend for her to live in the house you keep?”

 

    Loki mentally braced himself, knowing what he wanted to ask for might very well not be granted. “No; I don’t,” He replied, “I intend for her to remain here. With me.”

 

    “You cannot simply keep her here; Midgard has laws,” Odin said, turning to face Loki, “She is a child, and you are not her parent.”

 

    “Not yet...” Loki said pointedly, an unspoken challenge in his eyes.

 

    Odin huffed a slight laugh. “That is quite a responsibility to shoulder,” He said.

 

    “And not one that is new to me,” Loki replied, “Besides which, I’ve already _been_ doing it for months.”

 

    “That is true,” Odin conceded with a nod then turned back to face the garden, “You know she will not be a child forever; in fact, by her reckoning, she will not be a child for much longer.”

 

    “... I’m aware of that,” Loki replied softly.

 

    “She will one day want to live her own life,” Odin continued, “And it may take her very far from you.”

 

    “I won’t hold her back,” Loki replied firmly, “She deserves better than that. She deserves freedom.”

 

    There was silence for a while as Odin looked across the garden in thought. “You may wish to speak to her before you do anything,” He said at last, “This will impact her life in no small way.”

 

    Loki opened his mouth to say something but paused, not quite able to get the words out. “I will,” He said instead then turned and began to walk away, intending to find Willow.

 

    “Loki,” Odin called before he got too far, causing him to pause his steps and look over his shoulder, “You need not worry that she will leave you. They may go far, but a child always finds its way back home.”

 

    Loki looked down for a moment then nodded at the king and resumed walking, not quite sure how he felt about those words. Behind him Odin sighed lightly then turned and began to follow him inside, when he noticed something on the ground where Loki had stood. He looked down at the object then bent over and picked it up; there on his palm rested a single red stone, about the size of his thumb.

 

    The Allfather smiled to himself, his hopes renewed, and then headed back inside the palace, his ravens flying off before him and going off to resume their tasks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'ástin mín' = Old Norse meaning 'my dear/my darling/my young love'


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, we've reached the last chapter. There's also an epilogue coming up in a bit as soon as I proof read it.

    When Loki caught up to Thor and the others they were in one of the training grounds and Fandral was suspended some six feet in the air before a thoroughly annoyed looking Willow, the warriors around them laughing at his predicament while he seemed to be apologising.

 

    “Dare I ask?” Loki asked slowly, eyeing the floating warrior amusedly.

 

    “He said he could teach me ‘useful’ skills,” Willow replied, not taking her glare off Fandral, “So I showed him I already know some.”

 

    Loki laughed and walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking at Fandral. “I’m surprised you didn’t set him on fire,” He said lightly.

 

    “Could you kindly refrain from giving the lady ideas?” Fandral interjected, looking between him and Willow warily.

 

    “Oh, believe me; I thought about it,” Willow replied.

 

    “That’s my girl,” Loki said proudly, squeezing Willow’s shoulders lightly, “You can let him down now, though; there’s something we need to discuss.”

 

    “Fine,” Willow huffed, waving her hand and releasing the spell suddenly, causing Fandral to crash to the floor unceremoniously to the amusement of the others.

 

    “Perhaps you should take this as a lesson not to taunt a seidr-wielder,” Loki said with a not-altogether-friendly smile before turning Willow around and leading her out of the training ground.

 

    As they walked through the palace Loki tried to organise his thoughts completely before speaking to Willow. It wasn’t that he thought she’d say no to his plan, but he wanted to make sure she fully understood the scope of what it would change in both of their lives. It would be a bigger change for her and he didn’t want her to have second thoughts when it was too late.

 

    “That was quite a show back there,” Loki commented after a while.

 

    “Am I in trouble for that?” Willow asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

 

    Loki laughed lightly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “No; you’re not,” He assured, “It’s good for you stand up for yourself, especially around them; they need to learn to respect you and your skills.”

 

    “Kinda wish I’d known how to do that years ago,” Willow mused, “Would’ve saved me a lot of running.”

 

    “Probably wouldn’t have been a very good idea,” Loki replied, “Midgard has rather forgotten what the universe around them is like.”

 

    “Yeahhh; ten-year-old me wouldn’t have cared about that,” Willow said seriously.

 

    “I’m sorry you had to endure that, Willow.”

 

    “I’m not... much. If I hadn’t; I probably never would’ve been desperate enough for acceptance to have ended up summoning you.”

 

    “There is that,” Loki conceded then stopped walking and turned to face her, “I know that I can’t erase the past sixteen years, but I can at least try to make the rest of them better.”

 

    “You’ve already managed that months ago,” Willow replied a little confusedly, not sure where this was headed.

 

    “I aim to continue that,” Loki began then took a subtle breath and looked at her with complete seriousness, “Willow; I would like for you to stay here, in Asgard, to live... With me.”

 

    Willow blinked. “Can we... do that?” She asked with cautious hopefulness.

 

    “We can if you want,” Loki replied.

 

    “But... I’m still a minor; I’m pretty sure I can’t just move to another _world_ just like that,” Willow pointed out, “What about my parents? Even if they don’t... want me... they’re still legally my parents; it’s their say.”

 

    “Not for long, lítið einn,” Loki replied with a smirk, “But that can wait for now; I believe we’ve rather fallen behind on your lessons.”

 

****

 

    ‘For now’ turned out to be ten days, which was when Julianne was discharged from the hospital. In the meantime, Willow’s lessons had continued as normal and Loki finally showed her some of the palace’s secret corners not many beside him knew about, having had his confinement lifted. Willow had tried and somewhat succeeded in keeping the ‘I told you so’s to a minimum, especially after Loki took away her music player for two days in retaliation.

 

    As they drove to Willow’s former home, a once again shapeshifted Loki absently toyed with a smooth green stone in her hand that she’d received before leaving Asgard. She hadn’t said a word about it but Willow could tell it was significant; the look on her face when Huginn had delivered it said as much.

 

    “Okay, seriously; what’s with the stone?” Willow asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

 

    “Hm? Oh, this...” Loki replied distractedly, setting the stone down on the dashboard, “It’s a message. From Odin.”

 

    “A rock?” Willow asked dubiously, “What happened to writing a letter?”

 

    Loki breathed a laugh. “It’s a code, lítið einn,” She explained, “We came up with it when I was around your age. There was an... _incident_... after which I refused to speak for several years, so he and I found another way to communicate, one that only we understood.”

 

    “Ohh, okay,” Willow said, choosing not to ask what the ‘incident’ was. If was enough to keep someone like Loki silent for several years; she figured it must have been bad. “So, what does that one mean?” She asked, glancing at the stone.

 

    “It means ‘yes’,” Loki replied, eyes on the road, as they reached their destination.

 

    After parking and telling Willow to stay in the car, Loki got out and made her way to the house’s front door, a few folded documents in her hand, and rang the doorbell. Soon Willow’s father opened the door and promptly started and took an instinctive step back when he saw who it was, the memory of their last meeting still fresh in his mind.

 

    “Oh, good; you remember me,” Loki greeted casually with a smirk.

 

    “Laurie!” Willow’s father almost squeaked, “W-what are you doing here?”

 

    “We have business,” Loki replied, “Regarding Willow.”

 

    “I haven’t touched her!” Willow’s father quickly said, “I haven’t even _seen_ her since the hospital!”

 

    “Oh, I know; she’s been with me,” Loki replied casually, “That’s precisely why I’m here.” She leaned forward slightly. “See; I intend to keep it that way. May I come in?”

 

    She didn’t wait for a response, simply pushed past him none-too-gently and went straight to the dining table, passing a surprised Julianne on the way, sitting down on one of the chairs and looking back at them expectantly. Willow’s parents cautiously sat down across from Loki, wondering what exactly their daughter’s odd friend had in mind.

 

    Loki unfolded the papers in her hand and laid them out on the table, producing a pen seemingly out of nowhere and placing in on top of them. “I’ve taken the liberty of bringing termination of parental rights and adoption forms, and...” She began then fished her phone out of her pocket to check the time, “The notary should be arriving any minute now.”

 

    “You expect us to just... sign Willow over to you?” Julianne asked incredulously.

 

    “You were perfectly content to throw her out on the street; don’t pretend you given a damn what happens to her now,” Loki replied sharply, “I’m giving you a solution that benefits us all. I _suggest_ you accept it.”

 

    “And if we don’t?” Julianne asked challengingly.

 

    “Then I make you both disappear,” Loki replied almost sweetly with a smile that belied her tone, “And then I take Willow home.”

 

    At that Willow’s parent shifted uncomfortably and Julianne visibly gulped. Soon after the doorbell rang again, startling them slightly, and Loki smirked at how nervous she had them before pointedly ‘asking’ one of them to answer the door. Once the notary was seated - Loki wasn’t quite sure how Odin arranged it, but she certainly wasn’t about to ask given that it saved her the trouble - things proceeded smoothly. Willow’s parents didn’t even bother to read the documents; they just wanted this over with and Loki out of their home.

 

    After Loki signed the papers herself and copies were made, she bid them all a good day with a subtle sarcasm lacing her voice then left the house and returned to Willow. Willow unfolded the documents and read thought them carefully, curious as ever; when she got to the part Loki had signed she frowned slightly.

 

    “Laurie _Frost?”_ She read aloud incredulously, looking up at Loki with a raised eyebrow, “There’s something very wrong with you.”

 

    Loki laughed. “It’s not _that_ bad,” She replied.

 

    “It’s terrible,” Willow deadpanned.

 

    “Mm; perhaps,” Loki conceded, “But it served its purpose.”

 

    Willow shook her head amusedly. “Soooo...” She began after a moment, “Do I call you ‘dad’ now, or ‘mom’? ’Cause, you know, on _paper...”_

 

    At that, the smile fell from Loki’s face. “Willow. Don’t,” She warned.

 

    Willow simply grinned widely. “Aren’t you glad you fell so low?” She teased, recalling Loki’s words at their first meeting.


	20. Epilogue

    Willow whirled around suddenly with a frustrated groan, the folds of her deep purple coat billowing slightly behind her, and nearly collided with Loki, who was following her closely as he spoke to her in worried tones. She reached up and grasped his shoulders firmly, halting his speech abruptly, catching his gaze with her violet orbs and holding it determinately.

 

    “For gods’ sake, Loki; it’s a _date_ , not the apocalypse!” She exclaimed exasperatedly, “And I’m pretty sure _I’m_ the one who’s supposed to be nervous.”

 

    Two years had passed since Loki had become her legal guardian. In that time she had blossomed from an insecure wallflower into a confident young woman. She was still more socially withdrawn than most maidens her age, but now it was simply because she enjoyed quieter environments and not out of fear of alienation. There had been concerns that she would have a more difficult time adjusting, but it quickly became clear that she belonged there regardless of her origins, and any doubts still had were soon put to rest.

 

    For his part, Loki had learned to be a little less overbearing in some regards - although he still meticulously monitored her schooling, hand-selecting her tutors and even overseeing lessons occasionally - but he still had quite a bit to go in others; he had done his best to scare away any interested individuals (with absolute success) that dared to even _look_ at Willow for what he considered to be too long.

 

    At first it honestly didn’t bother her that he was so jealously protective - she even teased him about it sometimes, which did not amuse him in the slightest - because she wasn’t really interested in any of the guys he chased off, but that changed when she met Aðalsteinn, the youngest son of Tyr. They had met when one of the other warriors-in-training got a little too battle eager and caused him injury enough to require a healer’s attention; Willow had shown an interest and great potential for the healing arts and was apprenticing under Eir herself, and she had been the one to tend to his wounds. They had spoken a bit in the next few days while he recovered when she had the time and found that they shared some interests. Before he left the healer’s hall he asked if she would be willing to accompany him for a ride sometime in the following week and she agreed.

 

    When she told Loki about it, however, he wasn’t particularly thrilled. He immediately made it a priority to find out as much about Aðalsteinn Tyrson as he could; taking extra care to look for any faults and finding nothing of note. In the end he’d resigned himself to accept Willow’s decision, though he made a point of reminding her of all the defensive spells he’d taught her. Loki was no fool; he knew the day would come when Willow would meet someone she’d be romantically inclined towards. He just didn’t really expect that day to come so soon. Or maybe he was hoping it wouldn’t.

 

    In any event, the day had come, and there he was; fussing over her and going over everything he could think of to make sure she’d be alright, though he knew that she certainly wasn’t naïve enough to fall prey to any less-that-noble intentions. A lifetime of being bullied had taught her to be cautious of others, and she was a pretty good judge of character besides.

 

    “If he tries to pressure you into anything - anything at all...” Loki said as Willow’s maid worked her fair tresses into a pretty yet practical up-do, managing with great effort to keep from smiling sympathetically at the Trickster’s parental anxiety.

 

    “Freeze him and call you. I _know._ I got you the first _four times,”_ Willow cut in, trying very hard not to roll her eyes and failing miserably.

 

    “... I have not repeated that four times,” Loki said indignantly, though he did not sound that certain. Willow gave him a look and he decided to quickly change the subject. “I expect you back by lunch; you have lessons after and I’ll not see you neglect them over some boy,” He said sternly.

 

    “Yes, _mom_.”

 

    The maid failed to completely suppress a giggle and Loki glared at the woman; she quickly ducked her head, finishing her work as quickly as she could before scurrying out of the room, knowing better than to test his temper any further.

 

    As Willow stood Loki looked at her and smiled. “You are so beautiful, lítið einn,” He said with no small amount of pride.

 

    Willow smiled widely and walked up to him, standing up on the tips of her toes and wrapping her arms around his shoulders tightly. Loki returned the hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead before tucking her head under his chin.

 

    “I love you, and there isn’t a single person who’ll ever come between that,” Willow said after a moment, “But you gotta stop hovering, or I’m going to set you on fire.”

 

    Loki was silent for a while. “Fine,” He mumbled reluctantly.

 

    Willow tightened the hug again then stepped back and turned, beginning to walk away. Loki caught her hand for a moment and held it, causing her to stop and look back at him; she grinned widely then went back to him and jumped up to kiss his cheek, earning a smile as he let her go. As she rushed off Loki sighed deeply. He never imagined he would become so attached to this one girl, and even now the thought of losing her terrified him. Still, he knew that wherever life took her, she would always come back to him eventually.

 

    _A child always finds its way back home,_ Odin had told him once. Loki supposed his father might have been right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote. I'm both happy and sad to see this end; happy 'cause I finally frickin' finished this after so long, but sad 'cause I really like these guys.
> 
> In case anyone wants to know; the stone code goes like this:  
> Black means 'Come home now'  
> Grey means 'I need to talk to you'  
> Red means 'I need help' (you can imagine _that one_ didn't get a lot of use XD)  
>  Green, as Loki mentioned, means 'Yes'  
> White, which I didn't actually use but whatever, means 'No'
> 
> So yeah; somewhere way way waaaaay down the line, before everything went to shit, Odin actually made a tiny effort to be part of Loki's existence that wasn't influenced by Frigga. Will things get better for them? Eh; maybe. At least Loki doesn't completely, absolutely _loathe him_ anymore, so there's that.


End file.
